In an interview with the American channel ‘Fox News,’ Latnik said, ‘U.S. President Donald Trump ended the war between Cambodia and Thailand. He spent the weekend communicating with both countries.’ He added, ‘This is amazing. And because Trump benefits from trade, he invited me on the phone, and I listened to him as he communicated throughout last Saturday with Cambodia and Thailand,’ adding, ‘And what happened last Monday? They announced a truce. That’s what we did today. We concluded two trade agreements with Cambodia and Thailand.’
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had earlier announced that Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire agreement during negotiations in Kuala Lumpur. Steps to de-escalate the situation were also discussed, including a meeting between border military leaders on the morning of July 29, as well as preparations for a joint border affairs committee meeting on August 4.
It’s noteworthy that the border conflict between the two countries saw a military escalation starting on the morning of July 24, with Thai and Cambodian forces exchanging gunfire and artillery shelling. Cambodia used ‘Grad’ rocket launchers, some targeting civilian areas inside Thailand, which responded with airstrikes on Cambodian army positions. The escalation resulted in casualties on both sides, including civilians, with at least 22 people killed in Thailand and 140 others injured, while approximately 140,000 people were evacuated from the affected border areas.
