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In a clear statement to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” deliveries of crude oil to India. The announcement came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “resilient to outside influence.”

A Signal Directed at the Western Countries

This affirmation, delivered Friday, seemed to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, which have sought to pressure New Delhi into reducing its historical links with Moscow. The backdrop follows earlier American measures, notably the introduction of trade penalties targeting New Delhi due to its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a reliable exporter of oil and gas and anything necessary for the advancement of India’s economy,” the Russian president said. “Russia is prepared to keep ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Modi, while not naming energy directly, echoed the focus by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and vital foundation of the bilateral cooperation.”

Challenging Washington's Stance

Before the talks, during a media interview, Putin had questioned Washington's stance over India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “Should America is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, how can you deny India enjoy the equivalent access?”

The visit marked his first trip to India since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a deliberate attempt to project that the bond between the men remained intact.

A Personal Reception

Employing an unusual gesture, Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. The two exchanged a hearty embrace like old friends before holding a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

He later described India's partnership with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “founded on shared respect and deep trust.”

Strengthening Bilateral Partnerships

The bilateral summit resulted in several key agreements regarding defence and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the completion of an economic cooperation programme that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold bilateral trade to $100bn annually by the target year.

The leaders also agreed to recalibrate their defence ties. While Russia remains India's biggest supplier of weapons, this role has diminished over the past decade as India aims to diversify its supply base.

Their communique emphasized an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge defence platforms, although explicit details of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were left out.

Overall, Russia and India reiterated that in the “ongoing challenging, strained, and volatile international environment, their relationship remain strong to outside forces.”