🔗 Share this article

In a defiant signal to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to guarantee “continuous” shipments of energy resources to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and asserted their bilateral ties were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Statement Directed at the United States

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, appeared to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, that have sought to compel New Delhi into curtailing its historical relations with Moscow. This comes is in response to earlier American measures, including the imposition of import duties targeting New Delhi because of its purchase of Moscow's energy exports.

“Russia is a dependable exporter of energy resources and anything necessary for the growth of India’s economy,” Putin said. “We are ready to continue securing the consistent flow of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not referencing crude specifically, echoed the sentiment by noting that “secure fuel supplies has been a strong and crucial cornerstone of the India-Russia partnership.”

Defying US Interference

Before the meeting, during a television interview, Putin had criticized Washington's stance on India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “Should America has the right to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege?”

Putin's arrival marked his maiden trip to India following the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a visible attempt to demonstrate that the personal rapport between the heads of state was undisturbed.

An Unusual Greeting

In a unusual move, the Indian PM met Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders exchanged a hearty embrace as close allies before holding a private dinner on Thursday evening.

He later described India's alliance with Russia as “a guiding star” and said it was “founded on reciprocal esteem and profound confidence.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Ties

The bilateral summit yielded a number of important deals regarding military and financial collaboration. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an joint economic plan extending until 2030, which aims to increase twofold commerce to a hundred billion USD annually by the end of the decade.

Furthermore agreed to recalibrate their military partnership. Even as Russia is still India's biggest exporter of weapons, its share has reduced in recent years as India works to diversify its sources.

Their communique highlighted an agreement on the co-development of sophisticated defence platforms, although explicit reference of deals for the fifth-generation aircraft were omitted.

Overall, Russia and India reiterated that amid the “current complex, tense, and volatile geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties stay resilient to outside forces.”