US President Donald Trump has said he could ask European countries to release some of their diesel reserves, while his administration considers banning exports of the fuel from the United States. "We're thinking about it very seriously," Trump said. The logic is simple: diesel America doesn't sell abroad stays at home, and cheaper pumps will go down well with voters a few weeks before the congressional elections.

The pressure was opened by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who called on Europe to immediately prepare and release its stocks. According to him, American farmers, truckers and companies shouldn't have to bear the burden of rising prices. "Our European partners should accelerate the fulfilment of existing commitments and immediately make additional volumes available," Bessent posted on social media. Translated from diplomatic language: Europe should burn through its reserves to make life easier for the American campaign.

The numbers explain why phones are ringing nervously in Europe. The US is a key global diesel supplier, exporting between 1.2 and 1.5 million barrels a day. Experts warn that cutting off deliveries would push prices up even further in other countries, and David Fyfe, chief economist at Argus Media, believes a US ban would probably trigger a jump in international prices. Trump is promising cheaper diesel at home. The price for that, according to Fyfe, would be paid by everyone else.

The backdrop is war, not markets. Petrol and diesel prices around the world jumped after the US-Israeli war in Iran broke out in February. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the route for around a fifth of the world's oil and gas, drove up fuel prices, and Russia's export ban - Russia also being a major diesel supplier - added more pressure. Diesel in Britain, Germany and a string of other European countries is already at a record high. It is harder to refine than petrol, and it's used by transport and agriculture, so demand is very hard to cut.

For now, Europe is answering with meetings. British Energy Minister Martin McCluskey has discussed a possible ban with European counterparts, and a source familiar with the talks says it makes sense to prepare a coordinated response together with EU countries. The British government says there's no reason to worry about a diesel shortage but expects prices to keep rising. A European Commission spokesperson speaks of "numerous conversations and meetings", including high-level contacts with the US administration. Some stocks are still left over from this year's earlier coordinated release of strategic reserves.

The picture is familiar to anyone who grew up in the Balkans: when the big players run election campaigns, the small ones count the litres. Will Europe open its reserves to help someone else's campaign - and how long will it take for that decision to reach the pumps in our region?