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During a clear message to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “unbroken” deliveries of oil to India. This declaration came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and affirmed their relationship were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Signal Aimed at the Western Countries

The statement, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, which have tried to urge New Delhi into scaling back its historical ties with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous US actions, including the introduction of import duties against Indian goods because of its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a reliable supplier of oil and gas and anything necessary for the development of India’s industry,” Putin said. “Moscow stands willing to continue securing the steady flow of energy for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not referencing crude specifically, reinforced the theme by noting that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and crucial pillar of the Indo-Russian partnership.”

Defying Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the summit, during a media interview, Putin had criticized Washington's stance regarding India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “If the US is entitled to buy our atomic materials, how can you deny India enjoy the identical right?”

This trip was his maiden journey to India since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a clear attempt to display that the personal rapport between the heads of state remained intact.

A Warm Reception

Employing an rare gesture, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. The two exchanged a hearty embrace akin to close allies before enjoying a one-on-one meal together.

The Indian prime minister in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “built on shared respect and profound confidence.”

Expanding Bilateral Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded a number of important deals regarding military and financial collaboration. One significant result was the completion of an joint economic plan aimed at 2030, which aims to increase twofold bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD each year by the end of the decade.

Furthermore pledged to reshape their strategic cooperation. While Russia continues to be India's largest supplier of defence equipment, the volume has reduced over the past decade as India works to broaden its sources.

The joint statement highlighted an agreement on the joint production of sophisticated weapons platforms, although explicit mention of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were omitted.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that in the “current complex, difficult, and uncertain international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to outside forces.”