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During a defiant statement to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “unbroken” shipments of oil to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and affirmed their bilateral ties were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Signal For the West

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, appeared to be targeted at Washington, that have repeatedly attempted to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its historical links with Moscow. The context follows earlier US actions, including additional trade penalties on India over its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Our nation is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the advancement of India’s industry,” he said. “Russia is prepared to keep securing the uninterrupted flow of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, though he did not referencing crude explicitly, echoed the sentiment by noting that “a stable energy base has been a key and important foundation of the bilateral cooperation.”

Defying Washington's Stance

Before the meeting, during a TV appearance, Putin had questioned US interference on India's energy purchases. He argued, “If the US has the right to buy our nuclear fuel, how can you deny India have the equivalent access?”

This trip marked his first trip to India after the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a clear attempt to project that the bond between the two leaders persisted strongly.

A Warm Welcome

Taking an rare gesture, Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. The two embraced warmly like close allies before holding a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “based on shared respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Cooperation

The bilateral summit produced a number of significant pacts regarding military and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the signing of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which sets a goal to double commerce to a hundred billion USD each year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also vowed to reshape their strategic cooperation. Even as Russia continues to be India's primary supplier of arms, the volume has diminished lately as India works to broaden its procurement.

The official release highlighted plans for the joint production of sophisticated defence platforms, though direct reference of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

In conclusion, Russia and India affirmed that during the “current complex, difficult, and volatile geopolitical situation, their relationship remain strong to foreign influence.”