US President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the new escalation of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia and stated his readiness to resolve it.
„I will have a phone call tomorrow and I think they will understand. I will have a phone call and I will end the war between two very powerful countries – Thailand and Cambodia“, he said, expressing dissatisfaction with the renewed tension between Phnom Penh and Bangkok.
In October, the prime ministers of Cambodia and Thailand, Hun Sen and Anuthin Chanwirakhun, signed a joint declaration in the presence of the US president on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN summit, outlining further steps to peacefully resolve the border conflict between the countries. The countries stressed their commitment to “promote de-escalation of tensions, rebuilding trust and mutually beneficial relations“.
On December 7, clashes broke out on the Thai-Cambodian border. The Royal Thai Army said on Monday that Cambodian forces had begun shelling Thai positions in the border area. The Thai air force responded by attacking Cambodian military infrastructure. The Thai Army reported that Cambodia fired BM-21 multiple rocket launchers and kamikaze drones into Thai territory on December 8 and 9. Thai forces returned fire to gain control of key areas and inflict damage on the enemy.
US President Donald Trump reiterated that the US military would begin striking ground targets in Latin America to combat drug cartels.
“Now we're going to do it on land. Because it's a lot easier,“ he said during a speech in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. Trump has spoken of US military strikes in international waters against boats that Washington says are being used by smugglers from Latin American countries to transport drugs to the United States.
In recent days, the White House has repeatedly warned that the United States will soon begin carrying out strikes on land targets as part of the fight against drug cartels in Latin America. It claims that Washington has detailed information about drug trafficking routes in the region.
According to The New York Times, Trump has signed a classified directive to begin using military force against Latin American drug cartels. Significant additional US military forces have since been deployed to the Caribbean. Washington has launched air strikes against boats that the US government says are being used to transport drugs to the United States in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.