“We solved eight wars, and one was a little problem yesterday — Thailand and Cambodia. We will be able to straighten it out,” Trump said during an event at the White House. “There were some killings that happened and they shouldn’t have. We appreciate them working together to straighten it out.”

Trump’s remarks came as Malaysia announced it is coordinating efforts to ease hostilities along the disputed border. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said both countries requested a brief postponement of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, originally set for Dec. 16, to allow the situation to stabilize. Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed the meeting has been rescheduled for Dec. 22.

As of 6 p.m. Dec. 15, officials said 15 civilians had been killed and 74 injured since fighting erupted Dec. 7. The clashes have forced 126,204 families — about 421,853 people — to flee their homes, including more than 216,000 women and 127,000 children.

Trump also warned he may impose additional trade duties on both Cambodia and Thailand if fighting continues, describing tariffs as a key foreign policy tool. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said he had already used tariffs to address “new inflammation” in the conflict.

The interview was recorded Friday after Trump spoke with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

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Trump’s remarks came after Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul rejected a ceasefire proposal during a phone call with Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“I just used tariffs 10 minutes ago, just before you came, to settle the new inflammation that took place with Thailand and Cambodia,” Trump said. “And I told them, ‘If you have the war, not only am I going to break the trade deal we have, but I’m going to put tariffs on your country.’”

The Journal said the interview was recorded Friday, following Trump’s calls with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Anutin.

Trump said tariffs remain a key foreign policy tool and vowed to find legal grounds for further duties even if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against some measures already imposed.

Trump said both leaders agreed to cease hostilities within 24 hours, but fighting continued.

Hun Manet welcomed Anwar’s Dec. 13 ceasefire initiative, monitored by ASEAN observers and U.S. satellite support.

Anutin, however, insisted Thailand had no plan for a truce, citing the country’s first civilian death from a Cambodian rocket strike after eight days of clashes.

In October, Hun Manet and Anutin signed a joint declaration in Trump’s presence at the ASEAN Summit, pledging to de-escalate tensions and restore trust.

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Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the Thai military has failed to honor the terms of the July 28 ceasefire and accused it of holding the soldiers as hostages.

“President Trump will witness the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Accord at the ASEAN Summit,” Phea told reporters in Phnom Penh. “We urge him to raise this issue directly with Thai leaders and demand the unconditional release of our soldiers, just as he did in past peace efforts between Israel and Palestine.”

Phea noted that the issue was absent from a recent four-party meeting in Malaysia involving Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the United States. He said Trump’s presence at the summit could serve as a decisive signal to ensure Thailand upholds its commitments.

“Even though the ceasefire was signed with President Trump’s support, Thailand has yet to fully implement it,” Phea said. “His presence in Kuala Lumpur may reinforce the spirit of the agreement and compel compliance.”

The Kuala Lumpur Accord, expected to be signed during the ASEAN Summit from Oct. 26 to 28, calls for both Cambodia and Thailand to withdraw heavy weaponry and remove landmines from disputed border zones. The deal follows deadly clashes earlier this year that left dozens dead and displaced thousands.

Deth Sok Udom, a professor at Paragon International University, warned that the peace accord would lack legitimacy if the detained soldiers remain in custody.

“Thailand must demonstrate diplomatic sincerity,” Udom said. “Failure to release the soldiers undermines the ceasefire and violates humanitarian principles.”

Udom also urged ASEAN to deploy a neutral observer team to monitor border compliance and report violations. He said any breach should trigger diplomatic and legal consequences, including potential United Nations Security Council action or U.S. sanctions targeting military and economic ties.

President Trump is expected to attend the summit in Kuala Lumpur as part of a broader U.S. diplomatic initiative in Southeast Asia, officials confirmed.

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The accord, aimed at ending recent border tensions, is scheduled to be signed during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur from Oct. 26 to 28. Mohamad said the United States will help facilitate the ceasefire, which requires both countries to remove landmines and heavy artillery from their shared border.

The agreement, to be known as the Kuala Lumpur Accord, is intended to ensure lasting peace and coexistence between the two neighbors.

Tensions have escalated in recent weeks, with reports of psychological operations and land encroachments near the border. While both sides have agreed in principle to a ceasefire brokered through ASEAN channels, implementation remains uncertain.

Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the public would likely welcome a U.S-backed peace accord but warned against dominance by any single power.

The ASEAN Summit is expected to focus on regional peace and security, including Myanmar’s political crisis, South China Sea tensions, and Timor-Leste’s potential accession to ASEAN.

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