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In a clear message to the United States, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to guarantee “unbroken” supplies of crude oil to India. This declaration came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and affirmed their relationship were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Message Directed at the West

The statement, delivered Friday, seemed to be targeted at western countries, that have tried to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its historical links with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous US actions, including additional trade penalties against Indian goods because of its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy source of energy resources and anything necessary for the development of India’s industry,” Putin remarked. “We are ready to continue guaranteeing the consistent delivery of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without referencing crude specifically, supported the sentiment by noting that “energy security has been a strong and crucial foundation of the bilateral alliance.”

Questioning US Interference

Before the summit, via a television interview, Putin had challenged American pressure over India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “When Washington is entitled to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India enjoy the equivalent access?”

The visit was his initial journey to India since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a visible effort to demonstrate that the personal rapport between the heads of state remained intact.

A Warm Welcome

Employing an unusual gesture, Prime Minister Modi met Putin right off the plane. Both leaders embraced warmly akin to close allies before holding a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister later described India's alliance with Russia as “a guiding star” and said it was “founded on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Strengthening Bilateral Ties

The meeting resulted in multiple important deals across defence and financial collaboration. One significant result was the signing of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which aims to boost bilateral trade to $100bn annually by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also vowed to reshape their strategic cooperation. Although Russia continues to be India's biggest supplier of defence equipment, its share has reduced over the past decade as India has sought diversify its supply base.

The official release emphasized plans for the joint production of cutting-edge defence platforms, even if direct details of purchases such as the fifth-generation aircraft were omitted.

In conclusion, Russia and India affirmed that in the “present intricate, strained, and uncertain geopolitical situation, their relationship remain durable to outside forces.”