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In a defiant message to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “uninterrupted” supplies of oil to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and affirmed their bilateral ties were “resilient to foreign coercion.”

A Statement For the Western Countries

The statement, made on Friday, was widely seen to be targeted at the United States and its allies, which have repeatedly attempted to compel New Delhi into scaling back its close relations with Moscow. The context comes after earlier American measures, including additional tariffs against Indian goods over its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a reliable supplier of oil and gas and all required for the growth of India’s economy,” Putin stated. “We are ready to continue securing the uninterrupted delivery of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

Modi, without mentioning oil specifically, reinforced the focus by noting that “energy security has been a key and vital cornerstone of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Defying Washington's Stance

Before the meeting, via a television interview, Putin had criticized American pressure regarding India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “When Washington has the right to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India claim the identical right?”

Putin's arrival was his initial trip to India since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and both sides undertook a clear effort to project that the friendship between the men remained intact.

An Unusual Welcome

Employing an rare move, Modi personally greeted Putin right off the plane. Both leaders exchanged a hearty embrace akin to close allies before having a closed-door supper together.

Modi later described India's partnership with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “built on shared respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Defence and Economic Ties

Friday's talks yielded multiple significant pacts across military and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the finalization of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which aims to increase twofold mutual trade to a hundred billion USD per year by the end of the decade.

Furthermore agreed to recalibrate their defence ties. Even as Russia continues to be India's largest supplier of arms, its share has diminished in recent years as India works to diversify its sources.

Their communique emphasized cooperation in the joint production of advanced weapons platforms, though direct mention of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

In conclusion, Moscow and Delhi restated that amid the “present intricate, difficult, and unpredictable international environment, Russian-Indian ties stay resilient to foreign influence.”