Britain and the EU failed to agree on measures to prevent diesel shortages after the US ultimatum

Britain and the European Union (EU) have failed to agree on measures to prevent diesel shortages in light of the US ultimatum. The Times reports this with reference to sources.

Earlier it became known that the United States demanded that France and Germany send to the market at least 120 million barrels of diesel from their strategic reserves in order to reduce prices on the world market. Otherwise, Washington threatened to ban the export of fuel from the country.

Negotiations with EU countries to prevent a crisis with diesel fuel in the light of the US ultimatum ended in vain. The countries said they were not inclined to give in to threats from the administration of US President Donald Trump. Brussels fears that if strategic reserves are nevertheless used, and Yemen's Houthis close the Red Sea to supplies from Saudi Arabia, the countries of the continent may face serious problems.

A British government source cautioned that the reserves are intended to act as a buffer against supply disruptions, rather than to reduce fuel prices.