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In a clear statement to the United States, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “uninterrupted” shipments of energy resources to India. These remarks came as the two leaders met in Delhi and affirmed their partnership were “immune to external pressure.”

A Message Aimed at the West

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be targeted at the United States and its allies, that have sought to urge New Delhi into scaling back its close relations with Moscow. This comes comes after previous Washington's moves, such as additional import duties on India due to its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a dependable source of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India’s economy,” Putin stated. “Russia is prepared to persist in guaranteeing the steady delivery of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not referencing crude directly, supported the sentiment by saying that “a stable energy base has been a robust and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership.”

Questioning US Interference

Prior to the talks, in a television interview, Putin had questioned Washington's stance over India's energy purchases. He argued, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, then why can't India claim the identical right?”

This trip marked his initial trip to India following the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a deliberate effort to project that the bond between the two leaders persisted strongly.

An Unusual Greeting

In a notable step, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders shared a warm hug as longtime companions before having a closed-door supper the night before the summit.

He referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a beacon” and added it was “built on shared respect and strong faith.”

Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation

Friday's talks yielded several important deals across military and financial collaboration. One significant result was the signing of an strategic roadmap extending until 2030, which sets a goal to boost bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars each year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally agreed to reshape their strategic cooperation. While Russia remains India's primary supplier of weapons, its share has reduced lately as India aims to broaden its supply base.

The joint statement stressed an agreement on the co-development of advanced defence platforms, even if direct details of purchases such as the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

Ultimately, Moscow and Delhi restated that amid the “present intricate, tense, and volatile global landscape, their relationship continue to be durable to outside forces.”