Berlin und Paris: Diesel-Versprechen an Trump erfordert keine neue Freigabe

Germany and France announced on Wednesday that they will release diesel stocks that were pledged in March as part of the G7 commitment. The extent to which additional reserves may be released remains unclear, according to two diplomatic sources familiar with the matter. The statements suggest that Europe's promise to US President Donald Trump last week to release millions of barrels of the fuel was less generous than initially thought.

The G7 nations agreed on Friday to release a "substantial" amount of diesel in the next 20 days to lower global prices. Earlier, senior Trump administration officials had threatened an export ban on the fuel if European countries did not release their reserves. During a closed-door meeting, the countries admitted that the release would not include new barrels of diesel, according to the two diplomats.

Instead, they involved barrels already pledged as part of a broader European commitment, with two-thirds going to refinery products. The exact quantities the two countries will release have not been determined, but they will make up part of the remaining stock for which a pledge was made in March, the diplomats and a German government spokesman confirmed.

Of the 2.65 million tons of oil, diesel, and jet fuel pledged, Germany has so far only put 600,000 tons on the market. The extent to which France has fulfilled its pledge to release 14.6 million barrels remains unclear, but the country has stated it still has at least 8 million barrels left to release as part of recent efforts. The countries that hold some of Europe's largest stocks of refined oil products have been criticized by the Trump administration for not fully providing their March commitment.

Germany attributes this to weak demand for the barrels, according to a document obtained by POLITICO. It is unclear whether the countries will ultimately decide to provide additional barrels. A European official told POLITICO that the new commitment would "invariably" imply a further release. An extraordinary meeting of the IEA is set to take place today, coming as other member countries grapple with uncertainty over who will provide what and when.

Some Eastern European countries, like Bulgaria, also expressed concerns that the drawdown of reserves to combat prices would make them vulnerable in the event of a supply crisis. A spokeswoman for Germany's Economy Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that Berlin would not be releasing any new barrels. "The G7 has asked the IEA to monitor the timely and complete implementation of the commitments entered into in March 2026," the spokeswoman told POLITICO.

"Taking into account the commitments already fulfilled, the commitments should be implemented through a coordinated release of 100 million barrels via the IEA." She added that "for the time being, no further quantities" would be released.