🔗 Share this article

During a defiant message to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to maintain “uninterrupted” supplies of oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in New Delhi and asserted their partnership were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Message For the Western Countries

The statement, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be a direct challenge at Washington, who have repeatedly attempted to urge New Delhi into reducing its close links with Moscow. This comes follows recent American measures, such as the introduction of trade penalties on India because of its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a reliable source of oil and gas and anything necessary for the advancement of India’s economy,” Putin remarked. “We are ready to continue ensuring the steady supply of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without naming energy explicitly, echoed the focus by saying that “energy security has been a strong and crucial pillar of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Defying American Pressure

Before the talks, in a TV appearance, Putin had questioned US interference on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “Should America can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, then why can't India have the same privilege?”

Putin's arrival represented his first trip to India following the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi engaged in a deliberate effort to demonstrate that the friendship between the heads of state was undisturbed.

A Warm Welcome

In a unusual move, Modi met Putin as he disembarked. They exchanged a hearty embrace like old friends before having a private dinner the night before the summit.

He later described India's partnership with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “based on reciprocal esteem and strong faith.”

Strengthening Bilateral Partnerships

Friday's talks produced a number of significant pacts in the fields of defence and trade relations. One significant result was the completion of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to double bilateral trade to $100bn each year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally vowed to reshape their defence ties. While Russia remains India's primary supplier of weapons, the volume has declined over the past decade as India aims to widen its supply base.

Their communique highlighted an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of sophisticated defence platforms, even if explicit reference of purchases such as the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

Overall, Russia and India affirmed that during the “ongoing challenging, difficult, and uncertain geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties stay strong to external pressure.”