WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States will not ban diesel exports, welcoming a European commitment to release fuel from emergency stockpiles.

Speaking at the White House in response to an AFP reporter’s question about whether an export ban had been ruled out, Trump said, “Well, it was never really on the table. But what Europe did was a great thing.”

He continued: “I asked for it. Europe has a lot of diesel and they’re going to be making a major world contribution — and so are we. And we’re not going to be doing the export ban, we’re going to be doing what we’re supposed to do.”

The reversal follows weeks of mixed signals. Trump first voiced support for a diesel export ban on September 22 — a move that would have lowered domestic fuel costs but strained supplies abroad. As recently as Thursday, he indicated the option remained under consideration while his administration pressed European allies to draw down their reserves.

On Friday, G7 nations agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil over four months, aiming to calm global energy markets unsettled by the Iran war.

The decision comes at a politically sensitive moment for Trump’s Republican Party, which faces the prospect of losing its congressional majority in next month’s midterm elections, with voters frustrated over the conflict and rising energy prices.