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During a defiant statement to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “uninterrupted” shipments of energy resources to India. These remarks came as the two leaders met in Delhi and affirmed their relationship were “resistant to foreign coercion.”

A Statement Aimed at the West

The statement, made on Friday, was widely seen to be targeted at the United States and its allies, who have repeatedly attempted to urge New Delhi into scaling back its historical relations with Moscow. The backdrop comes after earlier US actions, such as additional tariffs against Indian goods over its buying of Russian oil.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy source of energy resources and all needed for the advancement of India’s economy,” the Russian president said. “Russia is prepared to persist in securing the steady supply of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, without mentioning oil explicitly, supported the sentiment by saying that “a stable energy base has been a key and important cornerstone of the bilateral partnership.”

Defying US Interference

Before the meeting, via a TV appearance, Putin had questioned American pressure on India's energy purchases. He argued, “When Washington has the right to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India enjoy the equivalent access?”

This trip represented his first trip to India after the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and the two nations engaged in a deliberate show to display that the bond between the heads of state remained intact.

An Unusual Greeting

Employing an rare move, Modi welcomed directly Putin upon his arrival. They shared a warm hug akin to longtime companions before having a private dinner together.

The Indian prime minister later described India's relationship with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “based on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Partnerships

The meeting produced multiple important deals across military and financial collaboration. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an economic cooperation programme aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to boost mutual trade to $100bn per year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also agreed to recalibrate their military partnership. Although Russia remains India's largest supplier of arms, its share has reduced lately as India has sought widen its supply base.

Their communique highlighted cooperation in the co-development of sophisticated military systems, though explicit mention of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

Ultimately, Russia and India reiterated that during the “present intricate, difficult, and uncertain geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be durable to external pressure.”