US, Cambodia Revive Defense Drills After Trump-Backed Peace Deal

Cambodian army soldiers participate in a U.S.-backed Angkor Sentinel peacekeeping exercise in Kampong Speu, Cambodia, in 2014.Photographer: Heng Sinith/AP Photo

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November 1, 2025 at 3:21 AM UTC

The US and Cambodia will revive flagship military exercises for the first time in eight years, the latest sign of warming ties following a flurry of deals between the two sides including a Trump-backed peace accord with Thailand.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the return of the Angkor Sentinel drills after a meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Friday on the sidelines of a security summit in Malaysia. The defense exercises were suspended in 2017 at a time when Washington criticized Phnom Penh for worsening human rights problems and a deterioration of democracy.