Following the announcement by US President Donald Trump that the trade deal requires India to cease purchasing oil from Russia, doubts have surfaced within the US regarding the enforcement of this requirement. India has yet to officially respond to the claim of reducing its Russian oil purchases. During a hearing of a subcommittee in the US House of Representatives, the State Department asserted that India is indeed curtailing its oil purchases from Russia, but no definitive clarification was offered to support this assertion. Consequently, concerns arise as to how effectively the Trump administration can monitor and enforce compliance regarding India's oil imports.

Republican Congressman Keith Self raised questions during the hearing regarding India's ongoing purchases of Russian oil and whether these actions contribute to funding Russia's war in Ukraine. He stated that "Russia is selling oil and funding the war in Ukraine through these sales," and sought clarity on how the US would determine if India has genuinely reduced its purchases of Russian oil. This inquiry reflects broader anxieties within US policy circles about the complexities of enforcing international trade agreements and sanctions, especially with a country as significant as India in the global oil market.

Ultimately, the tensions surrounding this issue underscore the challenges facing the US in its attempts to enforce stringent measures against Russia while navigating the multifaceted geopolitical relationships that involve major nations like India. The efficacy of the US's monitoring mechanisms and the potential diplomatic fallout from any perceived failure to restrain India's oil imports will be critical points of concern moving forward as both nations seek to balance their respective interests in a rapidly evolving global context.