European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen warned on Friday that the Trump administration’s threat of a ban on diesel exports could undermine Europe’s trust in Washington as a reliable partner.
“We fully reject any ban on diesel. A ban would not be beneficial to anyone. It would undermine our trust in the United States as a reliable partner,” Itkonen said.
It comes as European capitals face a brutal winter with conflict in the Middle East and attacks on energy infrastructure squeezing global fuel supplies.
After drastically reducing its dependence on Russian energy, the bloc has increasingly turned to the United States. The Commission said last week that around half of EU diesel imports were coming from the US.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to restrict diesel exports unless European countries release more of their strategic stocks, while France and Germany have come under particular pressure from Washington to open their reserves.
Brussels has pushed back against acting under US pressure and is instead trying to assemble a common European response.
“The European Union is ready for collective action,” Itkonen said. “There was the Coordination Meeting of the Energy Union Task Force this morning between the Commission and our member states, and we will now wait for the next steps.”
France has floated a compromise under which Europe would release part of its diesel reserves alongside wider action by the International Energy Agency, but no final agreement has been announced.
Itkonen said G7 leaders could hold a video conference later on Friday to continue discussions.
Source: Viory
