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During a unambiguous statement to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “continuous” shipments of oil to India. This declaration came as the two leaders met in New Delhi and asserted their partnership were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Message Aimed at the Western Countries

This affirmation, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, that have tried to pressure New Delhi into scaling back its historical relations with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to recent American measures, including the introduction of trade penalties against Indian goods over its purchase of Moscow's energy exports.

“Our nation is a reliable supplier of fuel and anything necessary for the growth of India’s energy sector,” he stated. “We are ready to keep ensuring the uninterrupted flow of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not mentioning oil explicitly, reinforced the focus by noting that “a stable energy base has been a key and crucial pillar of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Defying Washington's Stance

Prior to the summit, in a television interview, Putin had criticized US interference regarding India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington is entitled to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege?”

This trip marked his maiden trip to India after the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a visible effort to demonstrate that the bond between the men remained intact.

A Personal Greeting

In a notable move, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. The two exchanged a hearty embrace as close allies before having a closed-door supper together.

Modi later described India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and noted it was “based on shared respect and profound confidence.”

Expanding Bilateral Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded a number of important deals across military and trade relations. A major outcome was the signing of an strategic roadmap that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to boost mutual trade to a hundred billion USD each year by the target year.

Additionally pledged to restructure their defence ties. Even as Russia continues to be India's primary source of weapons, the volume has diminished lately as India works to diversify its supply base.

The joint statement emphasized cooperation in the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge weapons platforms, even if specific mention of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Ultimately, Russia and India reiterated that during the “ongoing challenging, difficult, and volatile international environment, Russian-Indian ties remain strong to outside forces.”