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In a clear message to the United States, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “unbroken” deliveries of crude oil to India. These remarks came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and asserted their partnership were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Message Directed at the Western Countries

The statement, delivered Friday, was widely seen to be targeted at Washington, that have tried to pressure New Delhi into reducing its close links with Moscow. This comes follows earlier Washington's moves, including the imposition of import duties against Indian goods due to its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a dependable exporter of energy resources and all needed for the advancement of India’s industry,” the Russian president said. “Moscow stands willing to persist in ensuring the steady flow of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Modi, without mentioning oil explicitly, echoed the theme by noting that “secure fuel supplies has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership.”

Questioning US Interference

In the lead-up to the talks, in a television interview, Putin had criticized US interference on India's oil imports. Putin stated, “Should America is entitled to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India enjoy the equivalent access?”

Putin's arrival was his maiden journey to India since the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi engaged in a visible attempt to demonstrate that the friendship between the two leaders persisted strongly.

A Warm Greeting

Employing an unusual gesture, Modi met Putin as he disembarked. They exchanged a hearty embrace like close allies before having a closed-door supper together.

He later described India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and added it was “founded on shared respect and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Bilateral Cooperation

Friday's talks yielded a number of important deals regarding defence and financial collaboration. One significant result was the signing of an joint economic plan extending until 2030, which sets a goal to double bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD per year by the 2030 deadline.

Furthermore agreed to restructure their strategic cooperation. Although Russia continues to be India's biggest supplier of weapons, this role has diminished in recent years as India works to diversify its procurement.

The joint statement emphasized plans for the joint production of cutting-edge weapons platforms, though direct mention of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

Overall, Russia and India reiterated that in the “present intricate, tense, and unpredictable global landscape, their relationship stay durable to foreign influence.”