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During a defiant signal to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin stated to PM Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to maintain “unbroken” supplies of crude oil to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and asserted their partnership were “immune to outside influence.”

A Signal For the United States

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, was widely seen to be a direct challenge at Washington, which have tried to pressure New Delhi into reducing its close ties with Moscow. The context comes after recent US actions, including the introduction of trade penalties against Indian goods over its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a dependable supplier of oil and gas and everything required for the advancement of India’s industry,” he remarked. “Moscow stands willing to continue ensuring the steady flow of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

Modi, though he did not referencing crude explicitly, echoed the sentiment by noting that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and crucial foundation of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”

Defying US Interference

Prior to the talks, via a TV appearance, Putin had challenged Washington's stance on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “Should America is entitled to buy our uranium, then why can't India claim the identical right?”

The visit represented his maiden journey to India following the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and the two nations made a clear attempt to display that the friendship between the heads of state persisted strongly.

A Personal Welcome

Taking an unusual gesture, Modi met Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders exchanged a hearty embrace akin to old friends before enjoying a private dinner together.

Modi referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “based on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Strategic Cooperation

The meeting resulted in several important deals across military and economic cooperation. One significant result was the finalization of an strategic roadmap that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to double mutual trade to $100bn annually by the target year.

The leaders also pledged to reshape their defence ties. Even as Russia is still India's biggest supplier of weapons, its share has diminished lately as India works to broaden its sources.

The joint statement emphasized cooperation in the collaborative manufacturing of advanced military systems, though explicit mention of purchases such as the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that during the “ongoing challenging, strained, and volatile international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to external pressure.”