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During a defiant statement to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to guarantee “uninterrupted” supplies of crude oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and affirmed their bilateral ties were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Signal Directed at the West

The statement, delivered Friday, was widely seen to be a direct challenge at western countries, that have tried to urge New Delhi into reducing its close relations with Moscow. The backdrop comes after recent US actions, such as the imposition of trade penalties on India due to its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy source of oil and gas and anything required for the growth of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president remarked. “We are ready to continue securing the uninterrupted supply of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not mentioning oil explicitly, supported the focus by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a robust and crucial cornerstone of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”

Questioning American Pressure

In the lead-up to the talks, via a media interview, Putin had criticized US interference over India's energy purchases. Putin stated, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India have the same privilege?”

The visit represented his first trip to India after the start of the war in Ukraine, and both sides engaged in a clear effort to project that the personal rapport between the two leaders remained intact.

A Personal Greeting

In a notable move, the Indian PM personally greeted Putin right off the plane. The two exchanged a hearty embrace as close allies before enjoying a closed-door supper together.

The Indian prime minister referred to India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “based on shared respect and profound confidence.”

Expanding Strategic Cooperation

The meeting resulted in several significant pacts in the fields of defence and trade relations. One significant result was the completion of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to boost commerce to one hundred billion dollars per year by the target year.

Furthermore vowed to restructure their strategic cooperation. While Russia continues to be India's primary supplier of defence equipment, the volume has reduced over the past decade as India has sought broaden its supply base.

Their communique emphasized an agreement on the joint production of advanced military systems, although explicit reference of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

In conclusion, Russia and India affirmed that during the “current complex, strained, and uncertain geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties remain strong to external pressure.”