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During a defiant signal to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to provide “unbroken” shipments of crude oil to India. This declaration came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and declared their partnership were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Message Aimed at the United States

This affirmation, issued after the annual summit, appeared to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, that have repeatedly attempted to compel New Delhi into scaling back its close ties with Moscow. This comes follows earlier American measures, including the imposition of trade penalties against Indian goods over its acquisition of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a reliable supplier of fuel and all necessary for the growth of India’s economy,” Putin said. “We are ready to keep guaranteeing the uninterrupted delivery of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

Modi, without naming energy directly, echoed the focus by saying that “a stable energy base has been a key and important cornerstone of the India-Russia partnership.”

Challenging US Interference

Before the summit, during a TV appearance, Putin had criticized American pressure on India's oil imports. Putin stated, “When Washington is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India enjoy the same privilege?”

This trip marked his maiden visit to India following the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and the two nations made a clear attempt to display that the friendship between the heads of state persisted strongly.

A Personal Welcome

In a notable step, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. They embraced warmly akin to longtime companions before holding a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

He in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a guiding star” and said it was “founded on mutual respect and profound confidence.”

Expanding Bilateral Partnerships

The meeting produced multiple key agreements regarding defence and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the completion of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which aims to boost bilateral trade to $100bn per year by the target year.

The leaders also pledged to restructure their defence ties. While Russia is still India's primary supplier of defence equipment, this role has declined over the past decade as India works to broaden its sources.

The official release highlighted plans for the joint production of sophisticated weapons platforms, even if specific details of systems like the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

Overall, both nations restated that during the “ongoing challenging, strained, and unpredictable geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties remain resilient to outside forces.”