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In a defiant signal to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “continuous” supplies of energy resources to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and affirmed their bilateral ties were “resilient to foreign coercion.”

A Statement Directed at the West

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, which have tried to urge New Delhi into curtailing its close links with Moscow. The context follows recent US actions, including additional tariffs against Indian goods due to its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Our nation is a trustworthy exporter of fuel and anything necessary for the advancement of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president remarked. “Moscow stands willing to keep securing the steady flow of fuel for the booming Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, without mentioning oil specifically, supported the sentiment by saying that “a stable energy base has been a robust and crucial cornerstone of the India-Russia partnership.”

Defying American Pressure

In the lead-up to the talks, during a media interview, Putin had criticized American pressure regarding India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “Should America can claim the privilege to buy our nuclear fuel, how can you deny India claim the identical right?”

Putin's arrival marked his initial trip to India after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides undertook a clear attempt to project that the friendship between the heads of state was undisturbed.

A Personal Greeting

In a rare gesture, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. The two shared a warm hug as old friends before enjoying a private dinner the night before the summit.

The Indian prime minister later described India's relationship with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “founded on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Strategic Partnerships

The bilateral summit yielded several important deals in the fields of military and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the finalization of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which targets to double bilateral trade to $100bn per year by the target year.

Additionally pledged to reshape their defence ties. Although Russia continues to be India's biggest exporter of defence equipment, its share has reduced lately as India has sought broaden its sources.

The joint statement emphasized an agreement on the co-development of sophisticated weapons platforms, although specific mention of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that during the “current complex, strained, and uncertain geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership stay durable to foreign influence.”