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During a unambiguous message to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “continuous” supplies of crude oil to India. The announcement came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Statement Directed at the Western Countries

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, that have repeatedly attempted to compel New Delhi into curtailing its close ties with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous American measures, such as the introduction of trade penalties targeting New Delhi because of its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Our nation is a dependable exporter of oil and gas and everything required for the development of India’s energy sector,” he said. “Moscow stands willing to keep ensuring the consistent delivery of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Modi, though he did not naming energy explicitly, reinforced the focus by noting that “a stable energy base has been a robust and crucial cornerstone of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”

Defying American Pressure

In the lead-up to the summit, during a television interview, Putin had questioned US interference over India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our nuclear fuel, why shouldn’t India have the identical right?”

This trip marked his maiden trip to India since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides undertook a deliberate show to project that the friendship between the men remained intact.

An Unusual Greeting

In a unusual move, Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. The two exchanged a hearty embrace like old friends before having a private dinner together.

He later described India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “founded on shared respect and profound confidence.”

Reaffirming Strategic Ties

The bilateral summit yielded multiple significant pacts in the fields of defence and trade relations. One significant result was the completion of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which aims to boost commerce to one hundred billion dollars per year by the end of the decade.

Additionally pledged to reshape their strategic cooperation. Although Russia is still India's primary exporter of defence equipment, this role has diminished lately as India works to diversify its supply base.

The official release highlighted an agreement on the co-development of cutting-edge weapons platforms, although specific mention of purchases such as the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Overall, Russia and India affirmed that amid the “present intricate, difficult, and volatile global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership stay strong to external pressure.”