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During a defiant message to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to maintain “uninterrupted” supplies of energy resources to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and declared their partnership were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Statement For the West

The statement, made on Friday, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, which have sought to compel New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding links with Moscow. The context is in response to previous Washington's moves, such as the introduction of import duties on India over its acquisition of Russian oil.

“Russia is a trustworthy exporter of oil and gas and anything necessary for the development of India’s industry,” the Russian president said. “We are ready to persist in guaranteeing the consistent delivery of fuel for the booming Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, without referencing crude explicitly, supported the sentiment by saying that “a stable energy base has been a strong and vital pillar of the bilateral cooperation.”

Questioning Washington's Stance

Prior to the summit, during a media interview, Putin had criticized US interference regarding India's oil imports. Putin stated, “Should America has the right to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India have the identical right?”

This trip represented his first journey to India since the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a clear effort to demonstrate that the bond between the two leaders remained intact.

A Personal Welcome

Employing an notable gesture, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin right off the plane. Both leaders embraced warmly like longtime companions before enjoying a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

He later described India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and noted it was “based on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Ties

The meeting yielded a number of key agreements in the fields of defence and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the signing of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold mutual trade to $100bn each year by the end of the decade.

Furthermore vowed to reshape their military partnership. Although Russia is still India's primary supplier of defence equipment, this role has diminished over the past decade as India has sought broaden its supply base.

The joint statement stressed cooperation in the joint production of cutting-edge defence platforms, though explicit mention of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

Overall, Russia and India affirmed that in the “current complex, tense, and unpredictable global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership stay durable to external pressure.”