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During a defiant signal to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” deliveries of oil to India. The announcement came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and asserted their bilateral ties were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Signal Directed at the Western Countries

The statement, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be a direct challenge at Washington, that have sought to urge New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding relations with Moscow. This comes comes after recent Washington's moves, including the introduction of trade penalties on India over its purchase of Russian oil.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy source of oil and gas and all needed for the growth of India’s industry,” Putin said. “Russia is prepared to persist in guaranteeing the steady flow of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not referencing crude specifically, supported the theme by saying that “a stable energy base has been a robust and crucial cornerstone of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Challenging US Interference

Prior to the meeting, during a television interview, Putin had criticized Washington's stance on India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “Should America has the right to buy our uranium, how can you deny India have the same privilege?”

The visit represented his maiden visit to India after the onset of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi undertook a deliberate effort to project that the bond between the two leaders was undisturbed.

A Personal Welcome

Taking an notable step, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. Both leaders exchanged a hearty embrace akin to close allies before holding a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

He later described India's partnership with Russia as “a guiding star” and said it was “based on shared respect and strong faith.”

Expanding Bilateral Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded several key agreements regarding military and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the completion of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to double commerce to $100bn each year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also agreed to recalibrate their military partnership. Even as Russia continues to be India's biggest source of defence equipment, the volume has diminished lately as India works to diversify its supply base.

The joint statement stressed an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge military systems, even if explicit reference of systems like the Su-57 fighter jet were omitted.

Overall, Russia and India affirmed that in the “present intricate, difficult, and unpredictable geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties continue to be durable to outside forces.”