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The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to reaffirm its dedication to a truce deal with the Cambodian side, indicating that trade talks could be paused as efforts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered peace agreement from collapsing.

Rising Border Hostilities

In recent days, Thai officials announced it was putting on hold the truce agreement, alleging Cambodian forces of laying fresh landmines along the mutual frontier, including one that allegedly wounded a Thai military personnel on duty, who lost a foot in the explosion.

Following this, a fatality occurred and several others wounded by gunfire along the Thai-Cambodia frontier, raising concerns of a fresh wave of retaliatory clashes.

American Economic Leverage

On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson informed reporters that a letter from the Office of the US Trade Representative declaring the suspension of trade deal talks was received on Friday night.

He quoted the document as saying that trade negotiations – which are focusing on a 19 percent American duty – could restart once the Thai government reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out the joint ceasefire declaration.

“Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” stated a different official representative.

President’s Economic Warning

Addressing reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to the Sunshine State on Friday, the US leader suggested that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the ASEAN nation heads.

The US president said, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” adding, “they’re doing great. I think they’re gonna be fine.”

Ceasefire Agreement Background

The President witnessed the finalization of a ceasefire agreement, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has promoted it as one of several deals around the world he claims should earn him the prestigious peace award.

The most severe clashes in a decade between military forces of both nations broke out in mid-summer, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.

Historic Frontier Conflict

The two neighboring countries have a longstanding border dispute that originates from conflicts regarding colonial-era maps created by French cartographers. Historic shrines along the border are disputed by each nation.

Reuters contributed to this report.