Thailand, Cambodia Sign Ceasefire at ASEAN Summit

At the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Cambodia and Thailand signed the Kuala Lumpur Accords, a joint declaration brokered and publicly championed by U.S. President Donald Trump that commits both sides to halt July’s fighting, establish a cease-fire and demilitarized border zones, and set up an ASEAN observer team. The accord calls for military de-escalation, removal of heavy weapons, and the conditional release of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war held by Thailand. Recent clashes killed at least 48 people and displaced about 300,000, underscoring the urgency of the deal. Despite the agreement, both sides have continued to accuse each other of ceasefire violations and have not resolved how to define the border, and analysts say the pact is loosely worded and faces significant political and technical hurdles. Trump used the ceremony to tout his peacemaking credentials, signed trade and critical‑minerals agreements with regional leaders, and warned that U.S. trade ties could hinge on the truce's durability.