Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he is scheduled to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump late on Friday as border clashes with Cambodia entered their fifth consecutive day. Anutin told reporters that the conversation with Trump would take place at around 21:20 local time.
President Trump has expressed his intention to intervene once again in an effort to stop the ongoing conflict and restore the ceasefire he helped broker earlier this year. For a third straight day, he has committed to making direct calls to the leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia in hopes of de-escalating the violence.
Trump emphasized his record of resolving international disputes, sharing his confidence that he would be able to get the truce between Thailand and Cambodia back on track. Calling himself a peacemaker, he pointed out that eight previous conflicts have already been settled with his involvement, and indicated that additional diplomatic efforts would be directed toward the Thai-Cambodian situation.
The fighting has intensified at several locations along the 817-kilometer (508-mile) border between Thailand and Cambodia, marking the most severe confrontations since a five-day military standoff in July that was also paused following Trump’s intervention. This latest bout of violence represents the worst the two countries have seen in recent history.
