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During a defiant statement to the United States, President Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to guarantee “uninterrupted” deliveries of crude oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in the Indian capital and affirmed their partnership were “resilient to foreign coercion.”

A Signal For the Western Countries

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at western countries, which have sought to compel New Delhi into reducing its close links with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to earlier US actions, including additional import duties against Indian goods due to its buying of Moscow's energy exports.

“Our nation is a dependable source of oil and gas and all required for the growth of India’s economy,” the Russian president said. “We are ready to continue ensuring the steady delivery of energy for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not referencing crude specifically, echoed the theme by noting that “energy security has been a key and important pillar of the India-Russia cooperation.”

Defying Washington's Stance

Before the meeting, in a media interview, Putin had challenged American pressure on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “Should America is entitled to buy our uranium, then why can't India have the identical right?”

Putin's arrival marked his maiden journey to India following the start of the situation in Ukraine, and both sides engaged in a visible effort to display that the friendship between the heads of state persisted strongly.

A Personal Reception

Taking an unusual move, Modi welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. Both leaders shared a warm hug akin to old friends before enjoying a private dinner the night before the summit.

The Indian prime minister later described India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “based on shared respect and strong faith.”

Expanding Bilateral Partnerships

Friday's talks produced a number of significant pacts in the fields of military and financial collaboration. One significant result was the finalization of an economic cooperation programme that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD each year by the target year.

The leaders also agreed to restructure their military partnership. Even as Russia continues to be India's largest exporter of weapons, the volume has declined in recent years as India works to diversify its sources.

The official release emphasized an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of advanced military systems, even if direct mention of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

Overall, Russia and India reiterated that in the “current complex, strained, and unpredictable geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties stay strong to foreign influence.”