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During a clear message to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “uninterrupted” shipments of energy resources to India. These remarks came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and affirmed their relationship were “immune to external pressure.”

A Statement Aimed at the West

Putin's comments, made on Friday, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, which have tried to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its historical relations with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous Washington's moves, notably the introduction of tariffs against Indian goods over its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a dependable source of oil and gas and all needed for the development of India’s energy sector,” Putin stated. “Russia is prepared to persist in ensuring the consistent flow of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without referencing crude directly, echoed the focus by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a robust and crucial pillar of the bilateral cooperation.”

Challenging US Interference

Before the talks, via a television interview, Putin had criticized Washington's stance on India's oil imports. He argued, “Should America is entitled to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India enjoy the same privilege?”

This trip was his initial trip to India since the start of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations made a clear effort to demonstrate that the bond between the men remained intact.

A Warm Welcome

In a unusual gesture, the Indian PM personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. They exchanged a hearty embrace like longtime companions before holding a private dinner the night before the summit.

The Indian prime minister in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “founded on shared respect and strong faith.”

Expanding Bilateral Cooperation

The bilateral summit produced several important deals in the fields of military and trade relations. One significant result was the finalization of an economic cooperation programme that runs to 2030, which targets to double commerce to $100bn each year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also pledged to reshape their military partnership. While Russia is still India's primary supplier of arms, this role has reduced over the past decade as India has sought broaden its supply base.

The official release emphasized plans for the joint production of advanced defence platforms, even if specific details of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were left out.

Ultimately, Russia and India restated that in the “ongoing challenging, tense, and volatile international environment, their relationship stay resilient to foreign influence.”