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Amid a clear signal to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “uninterrupted” supplies of oil to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and declared their relationship were “resilient to outside influence.”

A Signal Directed at the West

Putin's comments, made on Friday, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at the United States and its allies, who have sought to pressure New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding links with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to previous American measures, notably the introduction of trade penalties against Indian goods due to its buying of Moscow's energy exports.

“Moscow remains a dependable exporter of fuel and anything required for the development of India’s economy,” Putin said. “Russia is prepared to keep guaranteeing the consistent flow of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Modi, though he did not mentioning oil directly, supported the theme by stating that “secure fuel supplies has been a strong and important cornerstone of the India-Russia alliance.”

Defying Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the meeting, during a media interview, Putin had criticized US interference on India's oil imports. The president questioned, “When Washington is entitled to buy our atomic materials, how can you deny India claim the identical right?”

This trip marked his initial visit to India following the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi engaged in a visible attempt to project that the friendship between the two leaders remained intact.

A Personal Reception

Employing an notable gesture, Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. The two embraced warmly akin to longtime companions before holding a one-on-one meal together.

Modi in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “based on shared respect and profound confidence.”

Reaffirming Strategic Ties

Friday's talks produced multiple significant pacts across military and financial collaboration. A cornerstone agreement was the signing of an joint economic plan extending until 2030, which aims to boost mutual trade to $100bn each year by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also pledged to recalibrate their strategic cooperation. Although Russia continues to be India's biggest exporter of arms, its share has reduced over the past decade as India works to broaden its procurement.

The official release emphasized plans for the co-development of sophisticated defence platforms, although direct reference of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were omitted.

In conclusion, Russia and India restated that in the “ongoing challenging, tense, and unpredictable international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership remain durable to outside forces.”