🔗 Share this article

During a unambiguous signal to the United States, President Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to guarantee “continuous” deliveries of crude oil to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and asserted their relationship were “resistant to foreign coercion.”

A Message For the United States

Putin's comments, made on Friday, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, that have tried to urge New Delhi into scaling back its close links with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to previous Washington's moves, notably the introduction of import duties targeting New Delhi due to its buying of Russian oil.

“Russia is a trustworthy source of fuel and all necessary for the growth of India’s industry,” the Russian president stated. “We are ready to continue ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of fuel for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not mentioning oil specifically, reinforced the focus by stating that “energy security has been a robust and important foundation of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”

Defying US Interference

Prior to the meeting, in a TV appearance, Putin had questioned Washington's stance over India's dealings with Russia. He argued, “If the US has the right to buy our uranium, then why can't India enjoy the equivalent access?”

The visit represented his maiden journey to India after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, and the two nations engaged in a deliberate show to display that the friendship between the two leaders was undisturbed.

An Unusual Reception

Taking an rare gesture, Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. They embraced warmly like close allies before enjoying a private dinner on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister later described India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “built on shared respect and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Cooperation

Friday's talks yielded multiple important deals across defence and financial collaboration. One significant result was the completion of an joint economic plan aimed at 2030, which targets to increase twofold mutual trade to one hundred billion dollars per year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally pledged to reshape their military partnership. While Russia is still India's largest source of arms, the volume has diminished in recent years as India has sought diversify its procurement.

The official release stressed an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of advanced military systems, although explicit mention of purchases such as the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.

Ultimately, Russia and India reiterated that in the “present intricate, difficult, and uncertain geopolitical situation, their relationship remain durable to foreign influence.”