🔗 Share this article

Amid a clear signal to the United States, President Vladimir Putin stated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “uninterrupted” supplies of oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Statement Directed at the Western Countries

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, seemed to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, which have sought to compel New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding links with Moscow. The context follows earlier Washington's moves, notably the imposition of tariffs against Indian goods due to its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a dependable exporter of fuel and anything necessary for the advancement of India’s industry,” Putin said. “We are ready to persist in ensuring the steady flow of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without naming energy specifically, reinforced the sentiment by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and crucial foundation of the India-Russia partnership.”

Defying Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the talks, via a media interview, Putin had challenged Washington's stance on India's oil imports. Putin stated, “When Washington is entitled to buy our atomic materials, how can you deny India have the identical right?”

The visit marked his first trip to India after the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi undertook a clear show to display that the personal rapport between the two leaders remained intact.

A Warm Reception

Taking an notable gesture, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders embraced warmly akin to old friends before enjoying a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister later described India's partnership with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “based on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Strategic Partnerships

The bilateral summit produced several key agreements in the fields of defence and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the signing of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which targets to double bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD annually by the target year.

The leaders also vowed to recalibrate their strategic cooperation. Although Russia remains India's biggest supplier of defence equipment, its share has reduced lately as India has sought diversify its sources.

The joint statement highlighted plans for the co-development of sophisticated weapons platforms, though explicit reference of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

In conclusion, both nations affirmed that amid the “ongoing challenging, strained, and uncertain geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties remain durable to external pressure.”