Trump made Thai-Cambodia ceasefire deal happen, aide claims

Summary

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt credited Donald Trump for the Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire, calling it Nobel Peace Prize-worthy.

• The talks, chaired by Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, were co-organised by the US and attended by both US and Chinese envoys.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has hailed US President Donald Trump’s role in the ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, saying that it is worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.

“President Trump made this happen. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!” she wrote in a post on X, alongside a screenshot of a New York Times article that cast the negotiations as “US-backed talks”.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as Asean chairperson, had mediated the talks between acting Thai prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Putrajaya today.

The two countries agreed to a ceasefire starting midnight tonight, which would bring reprieve to border skirmishes around the Preah Vihear area that have killed dozens since the conflict escalated on July 25.

The negotiations also led to a series of commitments by the two countries aimed at reestablishing dialogue and keeping the peace, with Malaysia acting as a facilitator and observer.

US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard Kagan and Chinese Ambassador Ouyang Yujing were present at the negotiations in Putrajaya.

According to a joint press release by Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand, the US is a co-organiser of the talks while China is an observer.

Both superpowers, as well as Malaysia, have been urging Cambodia and Thailand to stop the fighting in the run-up to today’s negotiations.

In particular, Trump had reportedly told Cambodia and Thailand it is inappropriate for the US to continue trade negotiations with them while the fighting continues.

Thailand is a treaty ally of the US, while China is the largest trading partner of Thailand and Cambodia.

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