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In a unambiguous signal to Western nations, Leader Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “continuous” deliveries of energy resources to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in Delhi and asserted their partnership were “resilient to foreign coercion.”

A Statement Directed at the United States

This affirmation, made on Friday, seemed to be a direct challenge at western countries, which have tried to urge New Delhi into reducing its longstanding relations with Moscow. This comes comes after recent US actions, including additional trade penalties targeting New Delhi due to its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a dependable exporter of energy resources and anything necessary for the growth of India’s energy sector,” he stated. “Russia is prepared to continue ensuring the consistent supply of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

Modi, though he did not mentioning oil specifically, reinforced the sentiment by noting that “a stable energy base has been a robust and vital cornerstone of the bilateral cooperation.”

Defying American Pressure

Prior to the meeting, during a TV appearance, Putin had questioned US interference on India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India enjoy the equivalent access?”

Putin's arrival marked his maiden trip to India following the start of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi engaged in a deliberate show to display that the bond between the men was undisturbed.

An Unusual Welcome

In a unusual gesture, Prime Minister Modi met Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders embraced warmly like close allies before holding a private dinner together.

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

Expanding Strategic Ties

The meeting resulted in multiple key agreements in the fields of defence and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to double mutual trade to $100bn each year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also pledged to recalibrate their strategic cooperation. Although Russia is still India's primary source of weapons, this role has diminished over the past decade as India aims to diversify its sources.

The official release emphasized an agreement on the co-development of sophisticated military systems, although direct mention of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

Ultimately, Moscow and Delhi restated that in the “present intricate, tense, and uncertain international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to foreign influence.”