EU and UK disagree on US demand to use strategic diesel reserves

Emergency meetings between the European Union and Great Britain regarding the US demand to use emergency reserves of diesel fuel ended in vain.

European countries have not reached a consensus on Washington's demands: some do not intend to concede, others are ready to negotiate.

Officials fear that accepting American demands could leave Europe in a vulnerable position if the crisis in the Persian Gulf worsens.

MOSCOW, October 2 - RIA Novosti. Emergency meetings between the European Union and Great Britain regarding the US demand to use emergency reserves of diesel fuel ended without results, the Times newspaper reports, citing diplomatic sources.

On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that European countries are holding emergency meetings about a possible response to the US demand for the use of European emergency fuel reserves. As the agency noted, European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen called officials from Great Britain, France, Italy, Ireland and Germany.

“On Thursday, emergency negotiations with the participation of the energy ministers of Britain and the European Union ended without a decision,” the publication said.

According to one source, European countries do not intend to give in to Washington's demands. Another source, on the contrary, said that some European countries are ready for negotiations with the United States, noting that such a meeting could take place as early as Friday.

According to the newspaper, officials fear that if they accept American demands, then in the winter, if the crisis in the Persian Gulf worsens, Europe will find itself in a dangerously vulnerable position. They worry that the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement that rules northern Yemen will undermine Saudi fuel supplies. At the same time, officials privately admit that if the United States does introduce a ban on the export of diesel fuel, this will also put European reserves in an extremely difficult situation.

Earlier, Politico, citing sources, reported that the United States proposed that EU countries release 120 million barrels of diesel fuel from national strategic reserves within 180 days.