WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday welcomed a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, describing it as a positive step toward easing tensions in one of the global conflicts where President Donald Trump has played a mediating role.
“We urge Cambodia and Thailand to immediately honor this commitment and fully implement the terms of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords,” Rubio added in a statement after the two Southeast Asian countries jointly pledged to end border clashes that killed dozens of people in recent weeks.
The United States welcomes the announcement from Cambodia and Thailand on reaching a ceasefire following the General Border Committee meeting. We urge both countries to immediately honor this commitment and fully implement the terms of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) December 27, 2025
Earlier, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an “immediate” ceasefire, the two countries said in a joint statement issued by the Cambodian side, pledging to end weeks of deadly border clashes.
The neighbours’ long-standing border conflict reignited this month, shattering an earlier truce and killing at least 47 people, according to official counts. Around a million people have also been displaced.
“Both sides agree to an immediate ceasefire after the time of signature of this Joint Statement with effect from 12:00 hours noon (local time) on 27 December 2025, involving all types of weapons, including attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructures, and military objectives of either side, in all cases and all areas,” said the statement signed by the two countries’ defence ministers.
The ceasefire comes after three days of border talks announced following a crisis meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which both Cambodia and Thailand are members.
The United States, China and Malaysia also pushed for the warring neighbours to resume their ceasefire.
The three countries brokered a truce to end five days of deadly clashes in July, but the ceasefire was short-lived.
