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In a unambiguous statement to the West, President Vladimir Putin stated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” deliveries of oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in Delhi and asserted their bilateral ties were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Statement Directed at the United States

This affirmation, made on Friday, was widely seen to be a direct challenge at western countries, who have tried to pressure New Delhi into reducing its longstanding ties with Moscow. The context comes after previous American measures, such as the imposition of tariffs targeting New Delhi over its acquisition of Russian oil.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy source of energy resources and all required for the development of India’s industry,” he stated. “We are ready to persist in guaranteeing the uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Modi, though he did not mentioning oil explicitly, echoed the sentiment by stating that “secure fuel supplies has been a strong and important cornerstone of the bilateral cooperation.”

Defying American Pressure

In the lead-up to the meeting, via a TV appearance, Putin had criticized American pressure over India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “Should America is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India claim the identical right?”

The visit was his first visit to India after the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a clear effort to project that the friendship between the two leaders persisted strongly.

An Unusual Greeting

In a unusual step, the Indian PM met Putin upon his arrival. The two shared a warm hug akin to longtime companions before having a private dinner together.

He referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and noted it was “based on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Strengthening Strategic Ties

Friday's talks produced a number of important deals regarding military and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the signing of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which targets to boost bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD each year by the end of the decade.

Additionally pledged to recalibrate their defence ties. Even as Russia continues to be India's biggest supplier of defence equipment, the volume has diminished in recent years as India aims to diversify its sources.

The official release highlighted an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge weapons platforms, though direct details of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Overall, Russia and India reiterated that in the “ongoing challenging, strained, and volatile geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be durable to external pressure.”