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Amid a unambiguous message to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to guarantee “uninterrupted” shipments of oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in the Indian capital and asserted their bilateral ties were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Statement For the Western Countries

The statement, made on Friday, appeared to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, who have tried to urge New Delhi into reducing its historical relations with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to previous Washington's moves, notably the imposition of import duties on India because of its buying of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a trustworthy exporter of oil and gas and everything needed for the growth of India’s energy sector,” Putin remarked. “Moscow stands willing to continue ensuring the steady delivery of energy for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Modi, without referencing crude explicitly, echoed the theme by saying that “energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia cooperation.”

Challenging Washington's Stance

Before the meeting, via a television interview, Putin had questioned US interference on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “Should America has the right to buy our nuclear fuel, how can you deny India claim the same privilege?”

Putin's arrival marked his initial journey to India following the start of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi undertook a visible effort to project that the bond between the two leaders remained intact.

A Personal Reception

Taking an rare move, Prime Minister Modi met Putin upon his arrival. They shared a warm hug like close allies before enjoying a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

He in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “based on shared respect and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Cooperation

The bilateral summit produced multiple key agreements across defence and economic cooperation. One significant result was the signing of an joint economic plan extending until 2030, which sets a goal to double commerce to $100bn each year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally agreed to restructure their strategic cooperation. While Russia is still India's largest exporter of defence equipment, the volume has declined lately as India has sought broaden its supply base.

The official release highlighted plans for the collaborative manufacturing of advanced defence platforms, even if direct mention of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

In conclusion, Russia and India affirmed that during the “ongoing challenging, strained, and uncertain international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership remain durable to foreign influence.”