India, Feb. 3 -- India and the US have sealed a major trade deal that goes beyond just reducing tariffs. It touches on global energy politics, especially where India sources its oil. For more than a year, Washington had tied punitive duties on Indian goods to India's buy-side energy decisions, especially imports of discounted Russian crude.

As a result, discussions with Venezuela's leadership, which followed shifts in US policy toward Caracas, emerged as an unexpected but meaningful part of the backdrop to the deal. The result is a reshaped trade agreement in which oil supply choices, diplomatic outreach, and tariff cuts connect in a new strategic context for both countries.

What is the Venezuela Oil Link in the India-US Trade Deal? The...