🔗 Share this article

Amid a defiant signal to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “continuous” deliveries of crude oil to India. This declaration came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and asserted their relationship were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Message Directed at the United States

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, seemed to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, which have sought to pressure New Delhi into reducing its longstanding relations with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to recent Washington's moves, including the introduction of import duties on India over its purchase of Moscow's energy exports.

“Russia is a trustworthy source of oil and gas and anything required for the advancement of India’s economy,” he said. “We are ready to keep guaranteeing the uninterrupted supply of energy for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not naming energy explicitly, reinforced the sentiment by noting that “energy security has been a key and important pillar of the bilateral partnership.”

Defying Washington's Stance

Before the talks, via a media interview, Putin had challenged Washington's stance on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington is entitled to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India have the identical right?”

This trip was his first journey to India since the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations made a clear attempt to project that the bond between the heads of state remained intact.

A Personal Welcome

Employing an notable step, Prime Minister Modi welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. Both leaders shared a warm hug like close allies before holding a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

Modi later described India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and added it was “founded on reciprocal esteem and profound confidence.”

Strengthening Defence and Economic Partnerships

Friday's talks resulted in multiple important deals in the fields of defence and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an strategic roadmap that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to double bilateral trade to $100bn each year by the target year.

Additionally pledged to restructure their defence ties. While Russia is still India's primary exporter of defence equipment, its share has diminished in recent years as India aims to widen its procurement.

Their communique stressed plans for the co-development of advanced weapons platforms, though explicit details of purchases such as the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

Overall, both nations reiterated that in the “present intricate, difficult, and unpredictable international environment, Russian-Indian ties continue to be durable to outside forces.”