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During a unambiguous message to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to provide “continuous” supplies of crude oil to India. These remarks came as the two leaders met in the Indian capital and declared their relationship were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Statement Directed at the United States

Putin's comments, made on Friday, appeared to be targeted at Washington, which have sought to compel New Delhi into curtailing its close links with Moscow. The context comes after earlier American measures, such as the imposition of trade penalties targeting New Delhi because of its buying of Russian oil.

“Russia is a dependable exporter of energy resources and all necessary for the advancement of India’s economy,” he remarked. “Russia is prepared to keep securing the uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, though he did not naming energy explicitly, supported the focus by stating that “energy security has been a strong and crucial pillar of the bilateral partnership.”

Questioning Washington's Stance

Prior to the summit, in a television interview, Putin had challenged US interference over India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, then why can't India enjoy the equivalent access?”

The visit was his initial trip to India after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a clear effort to display that the bond between the two leaders remained intact.

A Warm Greeting

In a unusual move, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders shared a warm hug as close allies before enjoying a private dinner together.

Modi referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a lodestar” and noted it was “based on shared respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Ties

Friday's talks yielded several key agreements across defence and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the completion of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which sets a goal to double bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD per year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally vowed to recalibrate their defence ties. While Russia continues to be India's largest exporter of defence equipment, the volume has diminished in recent years as India works to broaden its procurement.

The official release highlighted an agreement on the joint production of cutting-edge weapons platforms, although direct mention of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were omitted.

Overall, Russia and India restated that in the “ongoing challenging, difficult, and unpredictable global landscape, Russian-Indian ties stay resilient to external pressure.”