Trump Vows to Intervene as Thai–Cambodian Border War Escalates, Civilians Flee Strikes

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 11, 2025) — U.S. President Donald Trump pledged Thursday to personally intervene in the escalating border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, saying he will call both governments in an effort to halt the fighting that has already displaced thousands.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion, Trump said he believed he could “pretty quickly” stop the decades‑long struggle between the two neighbors, citing his ties with their leaders. “I think I have to make a phone call,” he said. “Thailand and Cambodia are fighting for a long time, many decades, but I’ve gotten along with both. I think I can get them to stop fighting. Who else can do that?”

His remarks came as violence surged along the 800‑kilometer frontier, where artillery exchanges and Thai F‑16 airstrikes over the weekend killed civilians and raised fears of wider instability.

Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence on Thursday accused Thai forces of shelling villages in Banteay Meanchey province, calling the strikes “indiscriminate attacks” and a “serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

The clashes threaten to unravel the Kuala Lumpur Accords, a peace and trade framework Trump brokered in October after earlier fighting left dozens dead. Despite those agreements, hostilities reignited this week, drawing Washington back into a high‑stakes regional crisis.