🔗 Share this article

During a unambiguous message to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “unbroken” supplies of oil to India. The announcement came during a summit where both heads of state met in the Indian capital and affirmed their relationship were “resilient to outside influence.”

A Statement Directed at the United States

This affirmation, made on Friday, appeared to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, which have sought to urge New Delhi into reducing its longstanding relations with Moscow. This comes follows recent US actions, notably the introduction of import duties targeting New Delhi over its buying of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy supplier of oil and gas and all needed for the growth of India’s industry,” Putin stated. “Moscow stands willing to keep ensuring the steady supply of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not mentioning oil directly, supported the sentiment by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a robust and vital foundation of the bilateral partnership.”

Questioning Washington's Stance

Prior to the summit, during a media interview, Putin had challenged US interference on India's dealings with Russia. He argued, “If the US has the right to buy our uranium, how can you deny India have the identical right?”

This trip marked his maiden visit to India since the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and both sides made a clear attempt to project that the bond between the men persisted strongly.

A Warm Welcome

Taking an unusual move, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders shared a warm hug as longtime companions before having a one-on-one meal together.

He referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and noted it was “based on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Strengthening Bilateral Partnerships

The bilateral summit resulted in several key agreements regarding military and financial collaboration. One significant result was the finalization of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which targets to boost bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD per year by the target year.

Additionally vowed to restructure their strategic cooperation. While Russia continues to be India's primary supplier of weapons, this role has reduced in recent years as India aims to diversify its procurement.

The joint statement stressed plans for the co-development of advanced defence platforms, even if specific details of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

Overall, both nations affirmed that during the “current complex, tense, and uncertain geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties stay durable to outside forces.”