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In a unambiguous message to Western nations, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to provide “unbroken” shipments of crude oil to India. These remarks came when Putin and Modi met in New Delhi and declared their partnership were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Signal For the Western Countries

This affirmation, made on Friday, appeared to be a pointed rebuke at western countries, who have repeatedly attempted to pressure New Delhi into scaling back its historical ties with Moscow. The context is in response to previous US actions, including additional trade penalties against Indian goods because of its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Our nation is a reliable exporter of energy resources and all required for the advancement of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president remarked. “Moscow stands willing to persist in ensuring the uninterrupted supply of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Modi, though he did not referencing crude explicitly, reinforced the theme by noting that “energy security has been a strong and vital pillar of the bilateral alliance.”

Questioning American Pressure

In the lead-up to the summit, via a television interview, Putin had questioned US interference regarding India's oil imports. Putin stated, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, then why can't India enjoy the same privilege?”

This trip was his first trip to India following the start of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations made a deliberate show to display that the personal rapport between the heads of state was undisturbed.

An Unusual Greeting

In a unusual step, Prime Minister Modi met Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders embraced warmly as longtime companions before enjoying a private dinner the night before the summit.

The Indian prime minister in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and added it was “based on mutual respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Strategic Partnerships

The meeting resulted in multiple important deals in the fields of defence and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the completion of an joint economic plan aimed at 2030, which targets to double bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD per year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also vowed to restructure their strategic cooperation. Even as Russia remains India's largest exporter of arms, this role has diminished lately as India aims to diversify its procurement.

Their communique stressed an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge weapons platforms, although explicit mention of purchases such as the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.

Overall, Russia and India affirmed that amid the “ongoing challenging, strained, and unpredictable geopolitical situation, their relationship remain durable to foreign influence.”