🔗 Share this article

During a defiant signal to the United States, President Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “uninterrupted” shipments of crude oil to India. The announcement came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “resilient to outside influence.”

A Signal Aimed at the United States

This affirmation, made on Friday, appeared to be targeted at western countries, which have repeatedly attempted to compel New Delhi into curtailing its historical ties with Moscow. The context comes after previous Washington's moves, including the imposition of tariffs against Indian goods due to its buying of Russian oil.

“Russia is a reliable supplier of fuel and anything required for the development of India’s energy sector,” Putin stated. “We are ready to keep guaranteeing the uninterrupted supply of energy for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not naming energy specifically, supported the focus by saying that “a stable energy base has been a robust and important cornerstone of the Indo-Russian partnership.”

Defying Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the meeting, during a television interview, Putin had criticized US interference over India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “If the US has the right to buy our nuclear fuel, why shouldn’t India claim the same privilege?”

Putin's arrival was his maiden visit to India after the start of the war in Ukraine, and the two nations engaged in a visible effort to display that the personal rapport between the heads of state was undisturbed.

A Warm Welcome

Taking an notable gesture, the Indian PM personally greeted Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders embraced warmly like close allies before having a private dinner together.

Modi in his statement called India's partnership with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “founded on shared respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Ties

The bilateral summit produced multiple important deals in the fields of defence and financial collaboration. One significant result was the completion of an joint economic plan aimed at 2030, which aims to increase twofold commerce to one hundred billion dollars annually by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also vowed to restructure their military partnership. While Russia is still India's primary source of weapons, this role has reduced in recent years as India works to diversify its procurement.

The joint statement stressed an agreement on the co-development of sophisticated military systems, although specific details of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Overall, Russia and India affirmed that in the “present intricate, tense, and uncertain international environment, their relationship stay strong to outside forces.”