Trump “Optimistic” About Brokering Thailand-Cambodia Peace Deal, Citing Trade Leverage

US President Believes Southeast Asian Border Conflict an “Easy One” Compared to Past Diplomatic Claims, Despite Continued Artillery Attacks

Turnberry, Scotland: In a surprising diplomatic maneuver that has already seen some initial turbulence, US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday (local time) from Turnberry, Scotland, that he is “optimistic” about brokering a peace deal between the Southeast Asian nations of Thailand and Cambodia. Trump described the ongoing border conflict as “an easy one,” drawing a stark contrast to his past claims of resolving the complex India-Pakistan dispute.

The President’s comments came during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, where he reiterated his commitment to using economic pressure as a key tool to end the fighting. “We’re dealing with Thailand, and we do a lot of trade with Thailand and with Cambodia, and yet I’m reading that they’re killing each other. You know, they’re fighting. They’re in a war,” Trump stated. “And I say this should be an easy one for me because I’ve settled with India and Pakistan and Serbia and Kosovo were going at it.”

Despite Trump’s declared optimism, earlier on Sunday, just hours after he announced that both countries had agreed to hash out a ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported that Cambodia and Thailand accused each other of launching fresh artillery attacks. These renewed attacks followed initial reports late on Saturday, where both sides had indicated a willingness to engage in talks to end their long-standing border dispute, following Trump’s conversations with their respective leaders.

The territorial dispute between Bangkok and Phnom Penh is a century-old issue, rooted in the border demarcation set during the colonial-era French influence in the region, as reported by CNN.

Recounting his direct calls to the Prime Minister of Cambodia and the acting Prime Minister of Thailand, Trump asserted his strategy: “I said we’re not going to make a trade deal unless you settle the war… And I spoke to both of the Prime Ministers, and I think by the time I got off, they wanted to settle now.” This reflects his consistent belief in the power of trade as a diplomatic lever.

Trump also drew confidence from his prior mediation efforts, specifically citing the India-Pakistan conflict, which he claimed was “really getting ready to go at it.” He was referencing the recent India-Pakistan conflict in May, during which he had repeatedly taken credit for brokering a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed nations, also utilizing trade as leverage.

However, according to Indian officials, the cessation of hostilities in the India-Pakistan conflict came about after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) initiated contact with their Indian counterpart to request an end to the fighting. This followed India’s precision strikes under “Operation Sindoor,” which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.

Regardless of the specifics of past mediations, Trump expressed his conviction in his approach: “Getting those things settled if I can do it and if I can use trade to do that, it’s my honour,” he added, underscoring his belief in trade as a formidable diplomatic tool.

The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has been severe. Four days after the worst fighting in over a decade broke out between the Southeast Asian neighbors, the death toll had risen to over 30, tragically including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia. Authorities have also confirmed that over 200,000 people have been evacuated from border areas in both countries, as reported by Al Jazeera, highlighting the significant humanitarian impact of the ongoing hostilities.