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During a unambiguous statement to the United States, President Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “uninterrupted” supplies of crude oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and affirmed their partnership were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Signal Aimed at the Western Countries

The statement, made on Friday, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, which have tried to urge New Delhi into scaling back its close ties with Moscow. The backdrop comes after earlier Washington's moves, such as additional trade penalties against Indian goods because of its purchase of Moscow's energy exports.

“Our nation is a trustworthy exporter of energy resources and all necessary for the development of India’s industry,” he stated. “We are ready to persist in guaranteeing the uninterrupted supply of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, though he did not mentioning oil directly, reinforced the theme by saying that “a stable energy base has been a key and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership.”

Challenging US Interference

Prior to the meeting, in a TV appearance, Putin had questioned Washington's stance regarding India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “Should America has the right to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India enjoy the same privilege?”

This trip represented his first trip to India since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides made a clear show to project that the bond between the heads of state remained intact.

A Warm Greeting

Taking an notable step, Modi personally greeted Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders embraced warmly like old friends before enjoying a closed-door supper the night before the summit.

The Indian prime minister in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and noted it was “built on mutual respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Strategic Cooperation

The meeting resulted in multiple important deals regarding defence and trade relations. One significant result was the completion of an joint economic plan aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to double commerce to a hundred billion USD per year by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also vowed to restructure their defence ties. Even as Russia is still India's primary source of defence equipment, the volume has diminished in recent years as India aims to broaden its sources.

The joint statement stressed cooperation in the co-development of sophisticated military systems, although direct mention of systems like the Su-57 fighter jet were left out.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that during the “ongoing challenging, strained, and uncertain global landscape, their relationship continue to be resilient to external pressure.”