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During a unambiguous signal to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “uninterrupted” supplies of oil to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in New Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Signal For the West

Putin's comments, made on Friday, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, that have tried to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding links with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous US actions, notably the introduction of import duties targeting New Delhi because of its acquisition of Russian oil.

“Moscow remains a dependable source of energy resources and all required for the growth of India’s energy sector,” Putin stated. “Moscow stands willing to persist in securing the uninterrupted delivery of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without naming energy explicitly, reinforced the focus by stating that “energy security has been a strong and vital pillar of the India-Russia alliance.”

Defying US Interference

Prior to the summit, via a media interview, Putin had criticized Washington's stance on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India enjoy the identical right?”

This trip represented his maiden visit to India since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a clear attempt to project that the friendship between the men persisted strongly.

A Warm Greeting

In a unusual gesture, Prime Minister Modi welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. Both leaders shared a warm hug like longtime companions before enjoying a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

The Indian prime minister referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “built on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Strategic Cooperation

The meeting produced a number of important deals across defence and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the finalization of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which aims to boost commerce to a hundred billion USD each year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also vowed to restructure their military partnership. While Russia continues to be India's biggest supplier of defence equipment, its share has diminished lately as India aims to widen its sources.

The official release highlighted cooperation in the collaborative manufacturing of advanced weapons platforms, though specific mention of purchases such as the Su-57 fighter jet were omitted.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that amid the “ongoing challenging, tense, and uncertain global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership stay resilient to outside forces.”