London, October 6, 2026
In a move that could escalate tensions between the US and EU, President Donald Trump has pressed European leaders to release emergency diesel stocks, a request that came after soaring diesel prices in the US. The Trump administration’s plea comes as the ongoing war on Iran and Russia’s conflict in Ukraine have triggered a spike in global diesel prices, creating a political challenge for Trump ahead of the November midterm elections. According to European Commission data, the average price of diesel in Europe reached an all-time high of 2.24 euros per litre ($9.56 per gallon) the previous week, while US diesel prices hit a record of $6.53 per gallon. To address this crisis, the US and Republican lawmakers have considered restricting diesel exports. Last week, Trump pressured Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian diesel facilities, and on Thursday, he hinted at the possibility of asking European countries to release diesel stocks. Shortly after, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Europe to immediately tap its reserves, stressing the need for European partners to accelerate delivery on existing commitments and make additional supplies immediately available. An EU government official told Politico that the Trump administration sent a proposal to EU leaders on Thursday, asking them to release 120 million barrels of diesel from national strategic reserves over 180 days. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic discussed tight diesel supplies and price spikes with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during a G-20 trade meeting in the US, expressing Europe’s desire for a coordinated approach to lowering prices. A White House official told Al Jazeera that the US is tight on diesel due to lost exports from Russia, some from the Middle East (though being restored), and from China. American refiners are running at record highs, and European announcements about new supplies would also push prices down. Eamon Drumm, a Paris-based fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States focusing on US-Europe energy, believes the US administration likely believes releasing European stocks will ease global diesel pressure and lower US prices ahead of the midterms. However, he warned that threatening a US diesel export ban would hurt Europe and have damaging domestic economic and political consequences, eroding trust in US suppliers and distorting domestic energy markets. European countries and the United Kingdom hold about 52 million metric tonnes of gas oil and diesel stocks, including nearly 38 million tonnes of emergency reserves held by EU countries, according to Eurostat’s June 2026 figures. Germany holds the largest amount of emergency stocks at 5.6 million tonnes, followed by France at 8.2 million tonnes. US diesel inventories hit a record low of 107.9 million barrels as of September 11, 2026. The UK relies on the US for about 30 percent of its diesel and has a reserve of about 42 days. Relations between the US and EU have been strained since Trump imposed new trading tariffs on the 27-member bloc in 2025 as part of a global trade war launched after his second term began in January 2025. Tensions worsened when Trump demanded a deal to buy Greenland, refusing to rule out military force, prompting European nations to send troops to the island in January 2026 in defiance, leading Trump to threaten more tariffs before retreating after talks with NATO leader Mark Rutte.
