🔗 Share this article

During a clear message to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin stated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” supplies of energy resources to India. These remarks came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “immune to outside influence.”

A Message For the United States

The statement, made on Friday, appeared to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, who have repeatedly attempted to compel New Delhi into scaling back its close links with Moscow. The context is in response to previous American measures, including additional import duties targeting New Delhi due to its acquisition of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a reliable exporter of fuel and everything required for the advancement of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president said. “We are ready to persist in ensuring the consistent supply of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, while not mentioning oil directly, echoed the theme by stating that “a stable energy base has been a strong and crucial pillar of the India-Russia cooperation.”

Challenging Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the talks, in a TV appearance, Putin had questioned Washington's stance over India's oil imports. Putin stated, “When Washington is entitled to buy our uranium, then why can't India enjoy the identical right?”

The visit was his initial journey to India since the onset of the war in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a visible show to display that the bond between the men was undisturbed.

A Warm Reception

Employing an rare move, Modi met Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders exchanged a hearty embrace as old friends before having a one-on-one meal on Thursday evening.

He referred to India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “based on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Strengthening Strategic Ties

The bilateral summit yielded several significant pacts in the fields of defence and financial collaboration. A cornerstone agreement was the finalization of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which aims to boost bilateral trade to $100bn annually by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also agreed to reshape their defence ties. While Russia is still India's largest supplier of arms, this role has reduced in recent years as India has sought diversify its supply base.

Their communique emphasized cooperation in the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge defence platforms, although explicit reference of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.

In conclusion, both nations affirmed that in the “ongoing challenging, tense, and uncertain geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership remain durable to outside forces.”