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Amid a unambiguous message to Western nations, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “uninterrupted” shipments of oil to India. These remarks came as the two leaders met in the Indian capital and asserted their bilateral ties were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Message Aimed at the Western Countries

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, that have tried to urge New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding relations with Moscow. The backdrop comes after earlier Washington's moves, notably the imposition of trade penalties against Indian goods due to its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a reliable source of fuel and all needed for the advancement of India’s economy,” he remarked. “We are ready to keep securing the steady supply of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, though he did not referencing crude explicitly, echoed the theme by noting that “a stable energy base has been a key and important foundation of the bilateral alliance.”

Defying American Pressure

In the lead-up to the summit, in a media interview, Putin had criticized US interference on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington has the right to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India claim the equivalent access?”

Putin's arrival represented his initial journey to India since the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and both sides undertook a visible effort to project that the personal rapport between the two leaders was undisturbed.

An Unusual Greeting

In a notable move, Prime Minister Modi met Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders embraced warmly like close allies before having a closed-door supper together.

Modi referred to India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “built on reciprocal esteem and strong faith.”

Strengthening Defence and Economic Ties

The meeting produced several significant pacts regarding defence and financial collaboration. A cornerstone agreement was the finalization of an economic cooperation programme aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to double bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars each year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally vowed to restructure their defence ties. Although Russia is still India's largest source of arms, this role has declined lately as India works to broaden its supply base.

Their communique emphasized cooperation in the co-development of advanced military systems, although direct mention of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were left out.

Overall, both nations restated that during the “current complex, difficult, and volatile global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to outside forces.”