President Donald Trump said Friday that Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to restore a ceasefire after several days of deadly fighting, but officials from both countries indicated that hostilities had not fully stopped and that key issues remain unresolved.
Trump announced the renewed truce on social media after separate phone calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. He said both sides had agreed to halt all shooting and return to the original peace agreement reached earlier this year with support from Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
However, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry later challenged Trump’s claim that a ceasefire had been finalized, without offering further details. A spokesperson for Thailand’s defense ministry said clashes were continuing, while Cambodia’s defense ministry reported that Thai forces carried out strikes early Saturday. Those claims could not be independently confirmed.
Before Trump’s social media announcement, Anutin said he had told the U.S. president that Thailand would continue military operations until Cambodia no longer threatened its sovereignty. He said Thailand wanted concrete actions from Cambodia, including halting attacks, withdrawing forces, and clearing land mines, rather than declarations alone.
Trump credited Malaysia’s prime minister with playing a key role in efforts to prevent what he described as a potentially major war between two neighboring countries. The original ceasefire was reached in July through Malaysian mediation and U.S. pressure, with Trump warning of possible trade consequences if the deal was not accepted. The agreement was later formalized in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia.
Despite that arrangement, tensions persisted, marked by propaganda campaigns and sporadic cross-border violence. The conflict is rooted in long-standing territorial disputes dating back to colonial-era maps from 1907, which Thailand disputes, and a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded disputed territory to Cambodia.
Recent fighting has included Thai airstrikes on what it says are Cambodian military targets and Cambodia’s use of BM-21 rocket launchers. Thai media reported that at least six Thai soldiers were killed by rocket shrapnel, and the Thai military said Cambodian rockets damaged homes near the border. Thailand also reported destroying a crane near the historic Preah Vihear temple, alleging it was being used for military surveillance.
Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for helping resolve multiple international conflicts since returning to office and has openly expressed interest in receiving a Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking to reporters later Friday, he said his administration had successfully eased the Thailand-Cambodia crisis and described the situation as stable.
Other ceasefires Trump has cited as diplomatic successes are also facing difficulties. A recent peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda is under strain as violence has escalated in eastern Congo. The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes expressed deep concern and urged all parties to honor their commitments and de-escalate tensions.
Meanwhile, Trump’s internationally backed plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza remains unresolved, with intermittent fighting continuing and negotiations over a key second phase still ongoing.