US presses France and Germany to release emergency diesel reserves as prices climb

Transatlantic pressure over fuel reserves

The administration of US President Donald Trump is pressing European governments to release emergency diesel stockpiles to counter rising fuel costs across global markets. Washington has directed its complaints specifically at France and Germany, accusing both countries of failing to fulfill their supply commitments under a coordinated emergency drawdown plan agreed earlier this year. American officials argue that additional supply is required to compensate for market disruptions caused by the war with Iran and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Fuel prices have climbed to record or near-record levels across multiple European markets, creating political and financial strain for consumers and businesses alike. In Romania, pump prices for diesel reached between 10.9 and 11 lei per litre across large filling station chains on Thursday morning. The European Union did not immediately provide a formal reply to Reuters regarding the American claims.

Concentration of European diesel stocks

According to Eurostat figures for May 2025, European Union member states held approximately 39 million tonnes of emergency diesel and gasoil reserves. France and Germany hold roughly 35% of those strategic diesel volumes between them, placing a large share of the continent's safety cushion in two countries. France maintained 8.2 million tonnes in emergency storage, while Germany held 5.6 million tonnes. Across all crude oil and refined petroleum products, European Union countries possess nearly 109 million tonnes in emergency reserves. European regulations require every member state to hold petroleum stocks sufficient for at least 90 days of net imports or 61 days of average domestic consumption, whichever quantity is larger. The European Union in its entirety currently complies with these mandatory stock requirements.

Supply vulnerabilities and IEA coordination

The current stockpile dispute reflects long-term structural changes in European fuel trade and domestic refining infrastructure. European countries reduced fuel deliveries from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and experienced a steady decline in domestic refining capacity over the past two decades. As a result, the continent became increasingly dependent on diesel exports from the United States, a reliance that deepened further when the military conflict with Iran interrupted maritime supplies from the Middle East. In response to global market constraints, the International Energy Agency agreed in March to authorize a release of roughly 400 million barrels from emergency stockpiles worldwide. Under that international arrangement, the United States committed 172 million barrels, while European Union member nations agreed to supply approximately 20% of the overall volume.

European deliberations on market intervention

European policymakers are reviewing whether to release supplementary petroleum reserves into the commercial market to ease pricing pressures. European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen stated on Tuesday that European Union representatives discussed potential new stockpile releases directly with International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol. Despite those high-level consultations, the European Union has not yet decided whether to request that member states release extra volumes from their national reserves. Elevated diesel prices remain a sensitive policy issue across Europe because the fuel powers road freight transport, agricultural equipment, and heavy industrial machinery. Governments face a delicate balance between stabilizing commercial fuel rates and preserving minimum emergency stockpiles against ongoing geopolitical instability.