Trump says Europe agrees to release 'massive amount' of diesel

President Donald Trump said Friday that Europe has agreed to release some of its diesel reserves "immediately,” as the president and his Republican Party face pressure to address surging prices ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Trump announced the action on Friday on social media without offering details on which countries were releasing reserves or at what volumes.

"Europe has just agreed to release a massive amount of their heavily stocked Diesel Oil,” Trump wrote. "The process will begin immediately.”

The president faces lagging approval ratings as the Iran war and his trade battles have increased US prices for oil and other goods.

Gas prices in the US and abroad have soared during the eight-month-long war, a cost Trump has repeatedly said is worth it for making sure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. Trump has insisted prices will come down after the war, though there’s no end in sight.

The national average for a gallon of diesel in the US was $6.37 on Friday, according to AAA, after hitting a record $6.52 on Sept. 22.

Trump had a conversation overnight with French President Emmanuel Macron, the chair of the G7, about the need to address rising fuel prices and the availability of petroleum products, according to the French Embassy in the US Macron on Friday then chaired a videoconference of G7 leaders to discuss the issue.

Associated Press