🔗 Share this article

Amid a defiant signal to the United States, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” deliveries of crude oil to India. The announcement came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and declared their relationship were “immune to outside influence.”

A Statement For the United States

The statement, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at western countries, who have sought to pressure New Delhi into reducing its historical ties with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to previous Washington's moves, including additional trade penalties against Indian goods over its purchase of Moscow's energy exports.

“Moscow remains a dependable source of fuel and anything required for the advancement of India’s economy,” he remarked. “Russia is prepared to keep guaranteeing the steady supply of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not mentioning oil specifically, reinforced the sentiment by stating that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and important foundation of the India-Russia alliance.”

Challenging Washington's Stance

Prior to the talks, during a television interview, Putin had challenged American pressure on India's oil imports. The president questioned, “Should America can claim the privilege to buy our nuclear fuel, how can you deny India claim the equivalent access?”

The visit represented his initial trip to India following the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a clear effort to display that the bond between the heads of state persisted strongly.

A Personal Reception

In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin upon his arrival. They embraced warmly like old friends before having a closed-door supper together.

Modi in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and noted it was “founded on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Cooperation

Friday's talks resulted in a number of key agreements regarding military and economic cooperation. One significant result was the completion of an economic cooperation programme aimed at 2030, which aims to double mutual trade to $100bn per year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also agreed to reshape their strategic cooperation. While Russia continues to be India's primary exporter of defence equipment, the volume has diminished over the past decade as India works to diversify its procurement.

Their communique emphasized plans for the collaborative manufacturing of advanced weapons platforms, though explicit reference of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

Overall, both nations affirmed that during the “ongoing challenging, difficult, and uncertain global landscape, Russian-Indian ties continue to be strong to foreign influence.”