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Amid a defiant signal to the United States, President Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “continuous” supplies of oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in the Indian capital and declared their relationship were “immune to outside influence.”

A Signal Directed at the West

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be targeted at western countries, that have tried to compel New Delhi into curtailing its close relations with Moscow. This comes follows recent American measures, such as the imposition of import duties targeting New Delhi because of its purchase of Moscow's energy exports.

“Moscow remains a reliable source of energy resources and everything necessary for the advancement of India’s economy,” the Russian president said. “We are ready to keep guaranteeing the steady supply of energy for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Modi, while not mentioning oil directly, supported the sentiment by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a strong and important cornerstone of the bilateral cooperation.”

Defying US Interference

Prior to the summit, via a television interview, Putin had questioned American pressure over India's oil imports. The president questioned, “Should America has the right to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India enjoy the equivalent access?”

This trip marked his initial trip to India after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and the two nations made a clear effort to project that the bond between the heads of state was undisturbed.

A Personal Reception

Taking an rare step, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders exchanged a hearty embrace as close allies before holding a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

He referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “based on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Bilateral Partnerships

Friday's talks resulted in a number of important deals regarding military and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an economic cooperation programme that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold commerce to one hundred billion dollars each year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally pledged to recalibrate their military partnership. Even as Russia is still India's largest source of arms, this role has diminished in recent years as India aims to broaden its supply base.

Their communique highlighted cooperation in the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge military systems, though explicit details of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Overall, Russia and India reiterated that during the “present intricate, strained, and unpredictable global landscape, their relationship remain durable to external pressure.”