🔗 Share this article

During a unambiguous statement to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “unbroken” deliveries of energy resources to India. This declaration came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and asserted their relationship were “immune to outside influence.”

A Message Directed at the Western Countries

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be targeted at western countries, which have sought to compel New Delhi into reducing its close relations with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous US actions, such as the introduction of tariffs on India over its acquisition of Russian oil.

“Russia is a reliable exporter of energy resources and everything necessary for the advancement of India’s economy,” Putin stated. “Moscow stands willing to keep securing the uninterrupted delivery of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Modi, while not mentioning oil specifically, reinforced the sentiment by noting that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and crucial cornerstone of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Challenging Washington's Stance

Before the talks, in a media interview, Putin had questioned American pressure on India's oil imports. Putin stated, “Should America can claim the privilege to buy our atomic materials, how can you deny India enjoy the equivalent access?”

The visit represented his maiden visit to India after the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides undertook a clear attempt to display that the personal rapport between the two leaders remained intact.

A Personal Reception

Employing an notable move, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders embraced warmly like longtime companions before having a private dinner on Thursday evening.

Modi in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “built on mutual respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Ties

Friday's talks resulted in several important deals regarding military and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the signing of an strategic roadmap extending until 2030, which aims to boost commerce to a hundred billion USD each year by the target year.

Furthermore vowed to restructure their strategic cooperation. Even as Russia remains India's primary exporter of arms, this role has declined in recent years as India aims to broaden its sources.

The joint statement highlighted plans for the co-development of sophisticated defence platforms, though specific reference of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.

In conclusion, Russia and India restated that in the “present intricate, difficult, and unpredictable geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties stay strong to outside forces.”