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In a defiant signal to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to PM Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to maintain “uninterrupted” deliveries of crude oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in New Delhi and asserted their bilateral ties were “immune to external pressure.”

A Signal For the United States

This affirmation, issued after the annual summit, appeared to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, who have tried to urge New Delhi into reducing its longstanding ties with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous US actions, notably the imposition of trade penalties on India due to its acquisition of Russian oil.

“Russia is a dependable exporter of fuel and everything needed for the advancement of India’s economy,” the Russian president stated. “We are ready to continue guaranteeing the consistent supply of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without referencing crude specifically, echoed the sentiment by noting that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and crucial foundation of the bilateral alliance.”

Defying American Pressure

Before the talks, in a media interview, Putin had questioned US interference regarding India's energy purchases. He argued, “Should America is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India have the equivalent access?”

Putin's arrival was his maiden trip to India after the onset of the war in Ukraine, and both sides engaged in a clear attempt to display that the friendship between the two leaders remained intact.

A Warm Greeting

Taking an rare step, the Indian PM met Putin as he disembarked. They embraced warmly like longtime companions before holding a private dinner together.

The Indian prime minister in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “based on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Expanding Strategic Cooperation

Friday's talks resulted in a number of key agreements across military and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which aims to increase twofold bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD annually by the target year.

The leaders also agreed to reshape their strategic cooperation. Even as Russia is still India's largest exporter of weapons, its share has diminished lately as India has sought diversify its procurement.

Their communique stressed an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of sophisticated military systems, although specific reference of systems like the Su-57 fighter jet were left out.

Ultimately, both nations affirmed that in the “present intricate, strained, and volatile geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership stay strong to outside forces.”