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In a unambiguous signal to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “unbroken” deliveries of oil to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in the Indian capital and asserted their relationship were “immune to external pressure.”

A Statement Directed at the West

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, appeared to be a direct challenge at Washington, who have sought to urge New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding links with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous Washington's moves, including additional import duties against Indian goods because of its buying of Moscow's energy exports.

“Our nation is a dependable source of energy resources and all required for the advancement of India’s industry,” the Russian president stated. “Russia is prepared to continue guaranteeing the consistent flow of fuel for the booming Indian economy.”

Modi, while not referencing crude explicitly, supported the theme by noting that “energy security has been a key and crucial cornerstone of the Indo-Russian partnership.”

Questioning Washington's Stance

Before the summit, via a media interview, Putin had challenged Washington's stance regarding India's energy purchases. He argued, “If the US has the right to buy our uranium, then why can't India enjoy the equivalent access?”

This trip was his first visit to India following the start of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi engaged in a clear show to demonstrate that the personal rapport between the two leaders remained intact.

A Warm Welcome

Taking an rare step, Prime Minister Modi met Putin upon his arrival. They shared a warm hug as longtime companions before having a one-on-one meal together.

He in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “founded on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Bilateral Cooperation

The meeting produced several key agreements regarding military and financial collaboration. One significant result was the completion of an strategic roadmap extending until 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD per year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally pledged to recalibrate their defence ties. While Russia continues to be India's biggest exporter of defence equipment, this role has diminished over the past decade as India aims to diversify its sources.

The joint statement emphasized cooperation in the joint production of advanced military systems, although specific details of purchases such as the Su-57 fighter jet were omitted.

In conclusion, Russia and India reiterated that amid the “ongoing challenging, strained, and volatile geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties continue to be strong to external pressure.”