On February 20, 2026, US Envoy Sergio Gor confirmed that the United States is in "active negotiation" regarding the sale of Venezuelan oil to India, with a final trade deal expected to be signed "sooner than later" as only a few tweaking points remain. This initiative aims to assist India in diversifying its crude oil sources away from Russian imports, with Gor emphasizing the urgency of these negotiations. He stated, "The Department of Energy is speaking to the Ministry of Energy here, and so we're hoping to have some news of that very soon." The US has already granted licenses to trading houses like Vitol and Trafigura to market Venezuelan oil, and Indian refiners are reportedly ordering around 4 million barrels, marking a significant shift in energy procurement strategies for India.