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Amid a defiant statement to Western nations, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “unbroken” shipments of oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in Delhi and affirmed their relationship were “immune to external pressure.”

A Signal For the Western Countries

The statement, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, that have repeatedly attempted to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding links with Moscow. This comes comes after previous American measures, including the introduction of trade penalties against Indian goods over its buying of Moscow's energy exports.

“Our nation is a dependable supplier of oil and gas and everything necessary for the advancement of India’s economy,” he remarked. “Russia is prepared to persist in ensuring the consistent supply of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not referencing crude specifically, echoed the theme by stating that “energy security has been a robust and important foundation of the India-Russia alliance.”

Questioning US Interference

Before the meeting, in a media interview, Putin had criticized American pressure regarding India's dealings with Russia. He argued, “When Washington is entitled to buy our atomic materials, how can you deny India claim the equivalent access?”

This trip was his first trip to India after the start of the war in Ukraine, and both sides undertook a deliberate attempt to demonstrate that the bond between the two leaders remained intact.

A Personal Reception

Taking an rare step, Modi met Putin as he disembarked. They exchanged a hearty embrace as old friends before holding a one-on-one meal together.

He in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “based on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Bilateral Ties

Friday's talks produced multiple important deals regarding defence and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the signing of an economic cooperation programme that runs to 2030, which targets to increase twofold mutual trade to a hundred billion USD annually by the target year.

The leaders also pledged to restructure their military partnership. Even as Russia is still India's largest supplier of defence equipment, the volume has reduced over the past decade as India aims to widen its sources.

The joint statement stressed plans for the co-development of cutting-edge weapons platforms, although explicit mention of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.

Ultimately, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that amid the “current complex, tense, and uncertain international environment, their relationship continue to be strong to foreign influence.”