Bangkok, Thailand: Military leaders from Thailand and Cambodia met on Tuesday to agree on details of a ceasefire, brokered amid pressure from the U.S., that halted five days of deadly skirmishes along their disputed border. Regional military commanders along the 800-kilometer border agreed to halt gunfire, refrain from moving troops, and establish direct bilateral communications.

According to Radio Free Asia, Thailand’s Phumtham and Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia appeared together on Monday to announce the ceasefire, brokered with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, the annual chair of the ASEAN regional bloc. The announcement came amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated that continued fighting could stall negotiations for a trade deal with the U.S. Both countries face a 36% tariff on their goods unless a reduction can be negotiated. Following the deal’s announcement, Trump said he had spoken with both leaders and instructed his team to restart talks.

At least 43 people were killed and around 300,000 were displaced during the fighting, which included jets, rockets, and artillery. Some locals, like Cambodian Soklang Slay, expressed wariness as they returned to their homes on Tuesday, fearing new outbreaks of violence.

Supalak Ganjanakhundee, an author and former editor of the Nation newspaper in Bangkok, who was among those displaced, noted that the recent border skirmish served no real benefit to either nation but did serve the interests of the Thai military and Cambodia’s ruling family. He emphasized the need for international observers to monitor and verify the truce’s implementation and urged both countries to reactivate bilateral mechanisms to address critical issues of border security and overdue boundary demarcation.

Politically, the conflict has placed the government of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on the brink of collapse. The failure of coherent diplomacy has opened the door to external interventions, complicating an already volatile situation.