🔗 Share this article

In a defiant statement to Western nations, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to guarantee “unbroken” shipments of crude oil to India. This declaration came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and declared their partnership were “immune to outside influence.”

A Message For the Western Countries

This affirmation, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, which have sought to compel New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding ties with Moscow. The context comes after previous Washington's moves, including the imposition of trade penalties targeting New Delhi due to its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Our nation is a reliable source of fuel and all necessary for the development of India’s industry,” he stated. “Moscow stands willing to continue securing the steady delivery of energy for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without referencing crude specifically, echoed the sentiment by stating that “energy security has been a strong and vital pillar of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”

Defying US Interference

In the lead-up to the meeting, in a TV appearance, Putin had challenged Washington's stance on India's oil imports. Putin stated, “If the US is entitled to buy our atomic materials, then why can't India enjoy the equivalent access?”

This trip marked his maiden journey to India since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a visible attempt to display that the personal rapport between the men was undisturbed.

A Personal Greeting

In a notable step, Modi met Putin right off the plane. The two exchanged a hearty embrace like close allies before holding a private dinner on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a beacon” and added it was “founded on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Defence and Economic Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded a number of key agreements regarding military and economic cooperation. One significant result was the completion of an economic cooperation programme that runs to 2030, which targets to increase twofold commerce to one hundred billion dollars per year by the target year.

The leaders also agreed to reshape their military partnership. Even as Russia is still India's largest supplier of defence equipment, this role has declined over the past decade as India aims to diversify its sources.

The official release stressed cooperation in the co-development of advanced military systems, even if specific details of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

In conclusion, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that during the “current complex, tense, and uncertain international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be resilient to foreign influence.”