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During a defiant message to the United States, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to guarantee “continuous” deliveries of crude oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and declared their relationship were “immune to external pressure.”

A Signal Aimed at the Western Countries

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, seemed to be targeted at the United States and its allies, which have repeatedly attempted to compel New Delhi into scaling back its close ties with Moscow. The context follows recent American measures, notably the imposition of tariffs on India because of its buying of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a trustworthy exporter of energy resources and everything needed for the advancement of India’s economy,” Putin stated. “We are ready to continue securing the consistent supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, though he did not naming energy specifically, echoed the focus by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a robust and important foundation of the India-Russia cooperation.”

Defying US Interference

Prior to the talks, during a television interview, Putin had challenged American pressure regarding India's oil imports. The president questioned, “Should America has the right to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India enjoy the equivalent access?”

The visit was his maiden journey to India following the start of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides made a clear attempt to display that the bond between the men was undisturbed.

An Unusual Reception

In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Modi welcomed directly Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders shared a warm hug like old friends before holding a one-on-one meal on Thursday evening.

Modi later described India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “founded on shared respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Strategic Cooperation

The bilateral summit resulted in multiple important deals across military and trade relations. A major outcome was the completion of an economic cooperation programme that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold commerce to one hundred billion dollars per year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also vowed to reshape their defence ties. While Russia remains India's primary source of weapons, this role has reduced in recent years as India works to widen its procurement.

The official release emphasized cooperation in the co-development of cutting-edge weapons platforms, although explicit details of purchases such as the Sukhoi Su-57 were left out.

In conclusion, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that during the “current complex, difficult, and unpredictable global landscape, Russian-Indian ties continue to be resilient to outside forces.”