Bangkok: US President Donald Trump reiterated his sweeping claim that he has helped end eight active global conflicts since the start of his second term, as he joined Asian leaders in witnessing the signing of a landmark peace accord between Cambodia and Thailand on Sunday. The statement, made during a regional summit in Bangkok, drew both praise and skepticism, underscoring the polarizing nature of Trump’s foreign policy assertions.
Speaking at the gathering, Trump said, “We’re averaging one a month. There is only one left, although I heard Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up. But I’ll get that solved very quickly.” His remarks referred to the ongoing tensions along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, where intermittent clashes have persisted despite recent ceasefire efforts mediated by Qatar and Turkey.
Trump, who has long expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize, claimed his administration had brokered peace or ceasefire deals in conflicts stretching from Asia to Africa. During his address to the UN General Assembly in September, he listed a string of regions where he said hostilities had been halted under his watch including Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.
More recently, he cited the Israel–Hamas ceasefire in Gaza as his “eighth successful peace intervention,” though experts and foreign officials have questioned the scope of US involvement in some of these deals. While Trump’s administration played visible roles in Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern negotiations, analysts point out that several of the ceasefires were locally driven or facilitated through multilateral mechanisms.
Despite the controversy surrounding his claims, the ceremony in Bangkok underscored one tangible diplomatic success: the formal Joint Peace Declaration between Thailand and Cambodia, aimed at ending their border hostilities that erupted earlier this year. The agreement, co-signed by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, commits both countries to a series of de-escalation measures and humanitarian steps.
Among the most significant clauses in the declaration is Thailand’s commitment to “promptly release prisoners of war” detained during the border conflict. At least 18 Cambodian soldiers remain in Thai custody following clashes that left dozens dead on both sides before a Malaysia- and US-brokered ceasefire halted the violence in July.
However, the release of prisoners is contingent on the implementation of agreed de-escalation measures, including demining operations and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from contested areas along the frontier. “We want to see the start of it, and then we will start our process which takes 48–72 hours,” a Thai government source told local media, adding that Bangkok’s priority is ensuring that border security mechanisms are functioning before the transfer takes place.
The Cambodian government welcomed the accord as a “turning point for peace and cooperation,” emphasizing that the return of captured soldiers would restore trust between the two nations. Analysts have described the deal as a diplomatic breakthrough, particularly after months of rising tension that threatened to destabilize trade and cross-border communities.
For Trump, the peace accord provides another opportunity to reinforce his narrative as a global dealmaker — a message central to his foreign policy persona. Yet, experts caution that claims of “ending eight wars” may be overstated, noting that many conflicts remain unresolved or in fragile ceasefire phases. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which Trump once declared he could end “in a single day,” remains the most glaring omission from his list of achievements.
Still, the Bangkok accord and Trump’s renewed push for recognition reflect Washington’s continued diplomatic engagement in Asia. Whether the latest developments amount to enduring peace or political theatre remains to be seen, but for now, the US president appears determined to frame himself as the world’s chief peacemaker.