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During a unambiguous signal to Western nations, Leader Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to guarantee “unbroken” supplies of oil to India. These remarks came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and asserted their relationship were “immune to external pressure.”

A Signal Aimed at the Western Countries

The statement, made on Friday, appeared to be targeted at Washington, which have sought to urge New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding ties with Moscow. The context is in response to earlier US actions, such as additional import duties targeting New Delhi due to its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a reliable exporter of energy resources and everything needed for the development of India’s economy,” Putin remarked. “Moscow stands willing to keep securing the consistent delivery of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without naming energy directly, reinforced the focus by stating that “a stable energy base has been a strong and vital cornerstone of the bilateral alliance.”

Questioning US Interference

Before the summit, during a television interview, Putin had challenged American pressure over India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “If the US has the right to buy our nuclear fuel, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege?”

The visit represented his maiden visit to India following the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a clear show to project that the friendship between the heads of state was undisturbed.

An Unusual Greeting

Taking an unusual move, Modi personally greeted Putin right off the plane. The two exchanged a hearty embrace as longtime companions before enjoying a private dinner on Thursday evening.

Modi later described India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “founded on shared respect and profound confidence.”

Expanding Strategic Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded several key agreements in the fields of military and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the completion of an strategic roadmap extending until 2030, which targets to double commerce to a hundred billion USD each year by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also agreed to reshape their strategic cooperation. While Russia continues to be India's largest source of weapons, its share has reduced in recent years as India works to broaden its procurement.

The official release highlighted cooperation in the co-development of advanced defence platforms, though direct mention of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

In conclusion, Russia and India restated that during the “current complex, tense, and volatile international environment, their relationship stay strong to outside forces.”