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In a defiant statement to Western nations, Leader Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “unbroken” shipments of oil to India. The announcement came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and asserted their bilateral ties were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Statement Aimed at the Western Countries

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, appeared to be targeted at western countries, that have tried to compel New Delhi into curtailing its historical relations with Moscow. The context follows previous US actions, such as additional trade penalties against Indian goods over its buying of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a reliable exporter of fuel and everything necessary for the growth of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president stated. “Russia is prepared to keep guaranteeing the uninterrupted flow of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

Modi, without naming energy directly, reinforced the focus by noting that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and crucial pillar of the India-Russia partnership.”

Defying US Interference

In the lead-up to the summit, in a television interview, Putin had challenged US interference on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington is entitled to buy our atomic materials, then why can't India enjoy the equivalent access?”

This trip was his maiden journey to India after the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides undertook a visible attempt to project that the bond between the men persisted strongly.

A Personal Reception

In a rare move, Prime Minister Modi personally greeted Putin right off the plane. The two shared a warm hug like longtime companions before enjoying a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister later described India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “founded on mutual respect and profound confidence.”

Expanding Defence and Economic Cooperation

Friday's talks produced several significant pacts in the fields of defence and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the completion of an joint economic plan extending until 2030, which aims to increase twofold bilateral trade to a hundred billion USD each year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally pledged to restructure their defence ties. While Russia continues to be India's primary source of defence equipment, its share has reduced over the past decade as India aims to diversify its supply base.

The joint statement stressed an agreement on the joint production of advanced weapons platforms, even if specific reference of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

In conclusion, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that during the “current complex, strained, and uncertain international environment, Russian-Indian ties stay strong to outside forces.”