🔗 Share this article

During a clear message to the United States, President Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” deliveries of energy resources to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and declared their partnership were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Statement Aimed at the West

Putin's comments, made on Friday, seemed to be targeted at the United States and its allies, that have repeatedly attempted to urge New Delhi into reducing its historical ties with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to recent US actions, such as additional trade penalties on India over its buying of Moscow's energy exports.

“Our nation is a trustworthy supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India’s economy,” the Russian president stated. “We are ready to persist in ensuring the steady delivery of energy for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not referencing crude explicitly, echoed the sentiment by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and crucial cornerstone of the India-Russia partnership.”

Questioning American Pressure

In the lead-up to the summit, during a television interview, Putin had challenged American pressure on India's oil imports. The president questioned, “Should America is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, why shouldn’t India enjoy the identical right?”

This trip marked his maiden journey to India after the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations made a clear show to project that the personal rapport between the two leaders remained intact.

An Unusual Welcome

Taking an notable move, Modi met Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders embraced warmly like close allies before enjoying a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

Modi later described India's relationship with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “founded on shared respect and profound confidence.”

Strengthening Defence and Economic Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded a number of key agreements regarding defence and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the completion of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which aims to double bilateral trade to $100bn each year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally vowed to reshape their defence ties. While Russia remains India's primary source of arms, this role has reduced lately as India works to broaden its supply base.

The official release highlighted plans for the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge military systems, though direct mention of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi restated that in the “current complex, tense, and uncertain international environment, Russian-Indian ties remain strong to external pressure.”