Britain is negotiating with European allies to release emergency diesel stockpiles after the Trump administration threatened to cut off US fuel supplies unless Germany and France empty their reserves.
Ministers held calls on Thursday with counterparts from the European Commission, Germany, France, Italy and Ireland to discuss drawing down national reserves. The Trump administration has told Germany and France to release their stockpiles to help ease soaring global energy prices, according to the source, or face a US export ban.
The timing connects UK energy security to broader US pressure on European allies. Trump's threat combines supply leverage with price concerns. Britain's participation in these talks suggests the government views coordination with EU partners as necessary to manage potential fuel shortages and cost pressures if the US follows through on restrictions.
The source does not provide details on the size of Britain's own diesel reserves, the timeline for any drawdown decision, the specific quantities the Trump administration has demanded, or how much relief officials expect from releasing stockpiles. It also does not report the responses from individual European governments or the European Commission, or whether any government has agreed to release fuel.