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During a defiant statement to the West, President Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to guarantee “unbroken” deliveries of crude oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in New Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Statement Directed at the Western Countries

This affirmation, issued after the annual summit, appeared to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, that have sought to compel New Delhi into curtailing its historical links with Moscow. The context is in response to earlier US actions, such as the imposition of tariffs on India over its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a reliable source of energy resources and anything needed for the development of India’s energy sector,” Putin remarked. “We are ready to continue securing the steady flow of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not referencing crude explicitly, reinforced the focus by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a strong and important cornerstone of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Defying US Interference

Prior to the meeting, during a media interview, Putin had questioned American pressure over India's energy purchases. He argued, “If the US is entitled to buy our uranium, then why can't India enjoy the same privilege?”

Putin's arrival represented his maiden visit to India after the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a visible effort to display that the friendship between the men was undisturbed.

An Unusual Welcome

Employing an rare move, Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. They shared a warm hug like old friends before enjoying a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

He in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “founded on mutual respect and strong faith.”

Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded multiple significant pacts in the fields of defence and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the signing of an economic cooperation programme aimed at 2030, which aims to boost bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars annually by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also vowed to restructure their military partnership. While Russia remains India's biggest source of weapons, the volume has declined lately as India has sought broaden its sources.

Their communique stressed plans for the collaborative manufacturing of advanced defence platforms, though specific reference of purchases such as the fifth-generation aircraft were omitted.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that amid the “present intricate, strained, and volatile global landscape, their relationship stay strong to outside forces.”