🔗 Share this article

In a unambiguous signal to the West, President Vladimir Putin informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “unbroken” supplies of energy resources to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in Delhi and affirmed their bilateral ties were “resilient to outside influence.”

A Statement For the United States

The statement, made on Friday, appeared to be targeted at the United States and its allies, which have tried to pressure New Delhi into reducing its close links with Moscow. The context comes after earlier Washington's moves, such as additional trade penalties targeting New Delhi over its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a dependable exporter of energy resources and everything necessary for the advancement of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president stated. “We are ready to continue guaranteeing the steady supply of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without mentioning oil explicitly, supported the theme by saying that “energy security has been a robust and crucial pillar of the bilateral partnership.”

Challenging Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the talks, via a television interview, Putin had questioned American pressure on India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “If the US can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India have the equivalent access?”

This trip was his maiden trip to India since the start of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi undertook a deliberate show to project that the bond between the heads of state persisted strongly.

A Personal Greeting

Taking an rare step, Modi welcomed directly Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders exchanged a hearty embrace as close allies before enjoying a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

Modi in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “based on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Bilateral Cooperation

The meeting produced a number of important deals in the fields of defence and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which aims to increase twofold mutual trade to one hundred billion dollars per year by the end of the decade.

Additionally vowed to restructure their defence ties. Although Russia continues to be India's biggest supplier of arms, its share has declined in recent years as India has sought widen its sources.

The official release stressed cooperation in the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge weapons platforms, though direct reference of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were left out.

In conclusion, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that in the “current complex, difficult, and unpredictable geopolitical situation, their relationship remain resilient to external pressure.”