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In a defiant message to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to PM Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to provide “uninterrupted” supplies of oil to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and affirmed their partnership were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Message Directed at the West

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, which have sought to compel New Delhi into curtailing its close relations with Moscow. This comes follows recent US actions, including additional trade penalties against Indian goods over its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a reliable exporter of oil and gas and everything necessary for the growth of India’s economy,” he stated. “Russia is prepared to persist in ensuring the consistent flow of energy for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, while not naming energy directly, reinforced the sentiment by noting that “energy security has been a key and important cornerstone of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Challenging Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the summit, during a media interview, Putin had challenged American pressure on India's oil imports. The president questioned, “Should America is entitled to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India have the identical right?”

Putin's arrival represented his maiden trip to India after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and both sides made a deliberate show to display that the personal rapport between the two leaders persisted strongly.

An Unusual Welcome

In a notable step, Modi met Putin right off the plane. Both leaders embraced warmly as old friends before enjoying a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

Modi in his statement called India's partnership with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “founded on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Ties

Friday's talks yielded multiple important deals regarding military and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the finalization of an strategic roadmap that runs to 2030, which targets to increase twofold bilateral trade to $100bn per year by the target year.

The leaders also pledged to recalibrate their defence ties. Although Russia remains India's largest source of defence equipment, this role has declined in recent years as India works to widen its supply base.

Their communique emphasized plans for the co-development of cutting-edge military systems, even if explicit reference of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.

Ultimately, both nations affirmed that amid the “ongoing challenging, tense, and volatile geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership remain resilient to outside forces.”