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The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to reaffirm its dedication to a truce deal with Cambodia, indicating that trade talks could be halted as attempts are made to stop a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire arrangement from collapsing.

Rising Border Hostilities

In recent days, Thai officials announced it was suspending the ceasefire deal, alleging Cambodian forces of laying fresh landmines along the shared border, among them an incident that allegedly wounded a Thai soldier on duty, who lost a foot in the blast.

Following this, one person has been killed and several others wounded by gunfire along the Thai-Cambodia frontier, sparking fears of a fresh wave of tit-for-tat fighting.

American Economic Leverage

On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson informed reporters that a official communication from the U.S. trade office declaring the pause in trade negotiations was received on the previous evening.

The spokesperson referenced the document as saying that trade negotiations – which are focusing on a 19 percent American duty – could resume once the Thai government renewed its pledge to implementing the joint ceasefire declaration.

“Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” said another government spokesperson.

President’s Economic Warning

Addressing reporters aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on Friday, Trump suggested that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the ASEAN nation heads.

The US president said, “Today, I prevented a conflict using tariffs, the menace of duties,” continuing, “they’re doing great. I think they’re gonna be fine.”

Truce Deal Origins

Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire agreement, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has promoted it as one of multiple agreements around the world he says should earn him the prestigious peace award.

The most severe clashes in a decade between military forces of both nations broke out in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks leaving dozens of people killed and 300,000 displaced.

Historic Frontier Conflict

The two neighboring countries have a historic territorial disagreement that originates from conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the frontier are disputed by each nation.

Reuters contributed to this report.