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In a defiant statement to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to provide “unbroken” shipments of energy resources to India. These remarks came as the two leaders met in New Delhi and asserted their relationship were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Message For the United States

The statement, delivered Friday, seemed to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, which have tried to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding relations with Moscow. The context is in response to earlier American measures, such as the introduction of trade penalties on India due to its buying of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy source of fuel and all needed for the development of India’s industry,” he remarked. “Russia is prepared to continue securing the steady supply of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Modi, while not referencing crude specifically, reinforced the sentiment by stating that “energy security has been a strong and vital foundation of the bilateral alliance.”

Questioning US Interference

Prior to the talks, during a media interview, Putin had questioned Washington's stance on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India claim the equivalent access?”

Putin's arrival represented his first visit to India since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and the two nations engaged in a visible show to display that the personal rapport between the men was undisturbed.

A Warm Welcome

Taking an rare step, Modi personally greeted Putin right off the plane. Both leaders shared a warm hug akin to close allies before holding a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

He referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “founded on shared respect and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Bilateral Partnerships

The meeting resulted in a number of important deals regarding military and trade relations. A major outcome was the completion of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which aims to boost bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD each year by the target year.

Additionally agreed to recalibrate their defence ties. Although Russia remains India's largest source of defence equipment, this role has diminished over the past decade as India works to broaden its procurement.

The joint statement stressed plans for the collaborative manufacturing of sophisticated defence platforms, although specific mention of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that during the “present intricate, strained, and uncertain international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership stay strong to foreign influence.”