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During a clear statement to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to provide “uninterrupted” shipments of crude oil to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and affirmed their bilateral ties were “resilient to outside influence.”

A Statement Directed at the Western Countries

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be targeted at western countries, who have tried to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding ties with Moscow. The context follows earlier US actions, such as the introduction of import duties targeting New Delhi due to its acquisition of Moscow's energy exports.

“Our nation is a reliable exporter of oil and gas and anything needed for the development of India’s economy,” Putin stated. “Russia is prepared to keep guaranteeing the steady delivery of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, without naming energy explicitly, supported the sentiment by noting that “a stable energy base has been a strong and crucial foundation of the bilateral partnership.”

Defying US Interference

In the lead-up to the summit, in a television interview, Putin had criticized US interference regarding India's energy purchases. He argued, “Should America has the right to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India have the identical right?”

Putin's arrival was his first visit to India after the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and both sides made a visible attempt to demonstrate that the personal rapport between the two leaders persisted strongly.

An Unusual Welcome

Taking an notable step, Prime Minister Modi welcomed directly Putin as he disembarked. They exchanged a hearty embrace like longtime companions before having a one-on-one meal together.

Modi in his statement called India's partnership with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “built on shared respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Bilateral Ties

The meeting produced multiple key agreements in the fields of military and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the signing of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which targets to boost mutual trade to $100bn per year by the target year.

Furthermore vowed to reshape their defence ties. While Russia is still India's biggest supplier of arms, this role has reduced in recent years as India has sought widen its supply base.

Their communique emphasized cooperation in the collaborative manufacturing of sophisticated weapons platforms, although specific details of systems like the Su-57 fighter jet were omitted.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that in the “current complex, tense, and volatile geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership stay resilient to outside forces.”