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In a unambiguous statement to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “unbroken” deliveries of crude oil to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and asserted their relationship were “resistant to foreign coercion.”

A Signal For the United States

The statement, made on Friday, seemed to be a direct challenge at western countries, which have sought to compel New Delhi into reducing its longstanding links with Moscow. This comes comes after earlier Washington's moves, including the imposition of tariffs targeting New Delhi because of its buying of Russian oil.

“Moscow remains a dependable supplier of fuel and everything needed for the growth of India’s industry,” the Russian president said. “Moscow stands willing to keep ensuring the uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, while not referencing crude directly, reinforced the focus by noting that “a stable energy base has been a strong and vital cornerstone of the bilateral cooperation.”

Defying Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the summit, during a television interview, Putin had questioned American pressure over India's oil imports. Putin stated, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India claim the equivalent access?”

Putin's arrival was his maiden journey to India since the start of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a deliberate attempt to display that the bond between the heads of state was undisturbed.

A Warm Greeting

Employing an notable step, the Indian PM personally greeted Putin right off the plane. They embraced warmly akin to old friends before having a private dinner on Thursday evening.

He in his statement called India's partnership with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “built on reciprocal esteem and profound confidence.”

Expanding Bilateral Cooperation

The meeting resulted in several significant pacts in the fields of military and trade relations. One significant result was the signing of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold mutual trade to one hundred billion dollars per year by the target year.

Furthermore vowed to restructure their strategic cooperation. Although Russia is still India's primary supplier of defence equipment, its share has reduced over the past decade as India works to widen its supply base.

The official release stressed plans for the joint production of cutting-edge weapons platforms, although direct mention of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi restated that during the “present intricate, strained, and unpredictable global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be durable to external pressure.”