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Amid a clear signal to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” supplies of crude oil to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in New Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Message Aimed at the Western Countries

The statement, delivered Friday, was widely seen to be a direct challenge at Washington, which have sought to pressure New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding relations with Moscow. The context is in response to earlier US actions, notably the imposition of import duties against Indian goods over its purchase of Russian oil.

“Russia is a reliable source of energy resources and all required for the growth of India’s economy,” the Russian president remarked. “Russia is prepared to keep guaranteeing the consistent delivery of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without mentioning oil directly, supported the focus by stating that “a stable energy base has been a key and crucial cornerstone of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”

Questioning American Pressure

Before the talks, during a media interview, Putin had criticized Washington's stance over India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, how can you deny India enjoy the equivalent access?”

The visit was his maiden visit to India after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a clear attempt to project that the friendship between the men remained intact.

A Personal Reception

In a rare step, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin right off the plane. The two shared a warm hug like close allies before holding a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

He later described India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “based on mutual respect and strong faith.”

Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation

Friday's talks resulted in several significant pacts regarding military and trade relations. One significant result was the finalization of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to boost bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars annually by the end of the decade.

Additionally vowed to restructure their strategic cooperation. While Russia remains India's primary exporter of arms, this role has reduced lately as India aims to broaden its sources.

Their communique highlighted an agreement on the co-development of cutting-edge defence platforms, although specific details of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were omitted.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi restated that during the “present intricate, tense, and unpredictable global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership stay strong to outside forces.”