🔗 Share this article

During a unambiguous statement to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “uninterrupted” deliveries of oil to India. This declaration came during a summit where both heads of state met in the Indian capital and affirmed their bilateral ties were “resilient to outside influence.”

A Signal Directed at the West

Putin's comments, made on Friday, appeared to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, that have repeatedly attempted to compel New Delhi into reducing its close ties with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to previous US actions, including additional import duties targeting New Delhi over its buying of discounted Russian crude.

“Our nation is a reliable source of energy resources and anything necessary for the growth of India’s industry,” the Russian president remarked. “Russia is prepared to persist in securing the steady delivery of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not naming energy directly, supported the focus by saying that “energy security has been a strong and vital cornerstone of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”

Defying US Interference

Prior to the meeting, in a media interview, Putin had challenged Washington's stance over India's oil imports. Putin stated, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our atomic materials, then why can't India enjoy the equivalent access?”

Putin's arrival marked his first journey to India following the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi undertook a deliberate show to demonstrate that the friendship between the heads of state remained intact.

A Personal Reception

Employing an notable gesture, Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. They shared a warm hug like longtime companions before enjoying a private dinner on Thursday evening.

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

Strengthening Strategic Ties

The meeting resulted in multiple important deals regarding defence and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the finalization of an economic cooperation programme that runs to 2030, which targets to increase twofold bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD annually by the end of the decade.

Furthermore pledged to reshape their military partnership. While Russia continues to be India's largest source of weapons, the volume has diminished lately as India has sought widen its supply base.

Their communique highlighted an agreement on the co-development of sophisticated defence platforms, even if direct mention of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.

Overall, both nations reiterated that amid the “present intricate, strained, and unpredictable international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to foreign influence.”