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In a clear statement to the United States, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to guarantee “uninterrupted” shipments of oil to India. The announcement came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and asserted their relationship were “resistant to foreign coercion.”

A Message For the United States

This affirmation, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, who have repeatedly attempted to urge New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding ties with Moscow. This comes follows earlier US actions, such as the imposition of tariffs against Indian goods because of its acquisition of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a reliable source of fuel and anything needed for the development of India’s economy,” Putin stated. “Russia is prepared to keep securing the consistent delivery of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not referencing crude directly, supported the sentiment by saying that “energy security has been a robust and crucial cornerstone of the India-Russia cooperation.”

Defying Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the summit, in a media interview, Putin had criticized American pressure over India's energy purchases. He argued, “If the US is entitled to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India have the equivalent access?”

This trip represented his maiden journey to India following the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi engaged in a deliberate effort to project that the friendship between the two leaders was undisturbed.

A Personal Greeting

Employing an unusual gesture, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. The two shared a warm hug as old friends before holding a one-on-one meal on Thursday evening.

He referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and noted it was “built on shared respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Ties

The meeting produced several important deals in the fields of defence and financial collaboration. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an joint economic plan extending until 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold mutual trade to a hundred billion USD annually by the target year.

Additionally pledged to recalibrate their strategic cooperation. Although Russia remains India's largest exporter of weapons, the volume has diminished in recent years as India has sought widen its sources.

Their communique highlighted plans for the co-development of advanced military systems, though explicit reference of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Ultimately, Russia and India restated that in the “ongoing challenging, strained, and uncertain geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to outside forces.”