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During a defiant signal to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “continuous” shipments of oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and affirmed their partnership were “immune to external pressure.”

A Message Aimed at the Western Countries

The statement, delivered Friday, seemed to be targeted at the United States and its allies, that have sought to compel New Delhi into reducing its historical ties with Moscow. This comes comes after earlier Washington's moves, including the imposition of tariffs on India due to its purchase of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a dependable supplier of energy resources and anything necessary for the development of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president remarked. “We are ready to continue securing the uninterrupted flow of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not referencing crude explicitly, echoed the theme by saying that “a stable energy base has been a strong and important foundation of the bilateral alliance.”

Challenging American Pressure

Before the talks, in a television interview, Putin had criticized US interference on India's oil imports. The president questioned, “Should America has the right to buy our atomic materials, then why can't India enjoy the identical right?”

The visit was his first journey to India since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and the two nations made a deliberate show to demonstrate that the personal rapport between the two leaders was undisturbed.

An Unusual Reception

Employing an rare step, the Indian PM personally greeted Putin right off the plane. Both leaders exchanged a hearty embrace akin to old friends before having a one-on-one meal together.

He in his statement called India's partnership with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “based on mutual respect and profound confidence.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Ties

The bilateral summit produced several important deals regarding military and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an joint economic plan aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars annually by the target year.

Additionally vowed to recalibrate their defence ties. Although Russia continues to be India's biggest exporter of defence equipment, the volume has declined in recent years as India has sought broaden its sources.

The joint statement emphasized an agreement on the joint production of cutting-edge defence platforms, even if specific details of purchases such as the Su-57 fighter jet were left out.

Ultimately, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that amid the “present intricate, difficult, and uncertain global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to external pressure.”