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During a defiant message to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “uninterrupted” supplies of crude oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and declared their bilateral ties were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Statement Directed at the Western Countries

This affirmation, made on Friday, was widely seen to be targeted at the United States and its allies, that have repeatedly attempted to pressure New Delhi into reducing its longstanding relations with Moscow. The backdrop comes after recent American measures, such as the introduction of import duties against Indian goods because of its buying of discounted Russian crude.

“Our nation is a dependable source of oil and gas and everything required for the development of India’s economy,” the Russian president said. “Moscow stands willing to continue guaranteeing the uninterrupted delivery of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not naming energy specifically, echoed the focus by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a robust and vital foundation of the India-Russia alliance.”

Challenging American Pressure

Before the talks, via a media interview, Putin had criticized Washington's stance regarding India's energy purchases. He argued, “When Washington has the right to buy our uranium, then why can't India claim the same privilege?”

Putin's arrival marked his initial journey to India since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides engaged in a clear attempt to demonstrate that the friendship between the heads of state remained intact.

An Unusual Greeting

In a unusual move, the Indian PM met Putin right off the plane. They embraced warmly akin to close allies before holding a closed-door supper the night before the summit.

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

Strengthening Bilateral Partnerships

The bilateral summit resulted in a number of key agreements across defence and financial collaboration. A cornerstone agreement was the finalization of an strategic roadmap extending until 2030, which aims to increase twofold mutual trade to $100bn each year by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also agreed to restructure their military partnership. Although Russia continues to be India's largest exporter of weapons, this role has diminished in recent years as India has sought widen its supply base.

Their communique emphasized an agreement on the co-development of advanced military systems, although explicit mention of deals for the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

Ultimately, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that amid the “current complex, tense, and volatile international environment, Russian-Indian ties remain resilient to external pressure.”