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During a unambiguous message to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “unbroken” supplies of oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in the Indian capital and asserted their relationship were “resistant to foreign coercion.”

A Statement For the United States

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, appeared to be a direct challenge at western countries, which have repeatedly attempted to compel New Delhi into curtailing its close links with Moscow. This comes follows earlier American measures, notably additional tariffs targeting New Delhi due to its buying of Moscow's energy exports.

“Our nation is a dependable exporter of fuel and all required for the advancement of India’s energy sector,” he stated. “We are ready to keep securing the steady flow of energy for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not naming energy specifically, reinforced the sentiment by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a robust and vital foundation of the Indo-Russian partnership.”

Questioning US Interference

In the lead-up to the summit, via a TV appearance, Putin had challenged American pressure on India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “If the US has the right to buy our uranium, then why can't India have the equivalent access?”

This trip was his initial trip to India following the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi undertook a deliberate show to display that the friendship between the men was undisturbed.

An Unusual Reception

In a rare step, Modi met Putin upon his arrival. The two embraced warmly as close allies before having a closed-door supper together.

The Indian prime minister in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and noted it was “founded on reciprocal esteem and profound confidence.”

Reaffirming Strategic Ties

The bilateral summit produced several key agreements in the fields of defence and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the signing of an strategic roadmap extending until 2030, which targets to boost commerce to one hundred billion dollars each year by the target year.

Additionally vowed to restructure their defence ties. While Russia continues to be India's biggest source of arms, its share has reduced in recent years as India works to widen its sources.

The joint statement highlighted an agreement on the joint production of cutting-edge weapons platforms, though explicit mention of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

Overall, Russia and India affirmed that during the “current complex, difficult, and unpredictable global landscape, their relationship stay resilient to external pressure.”