🔗 Share this article

In a unambiguous message to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to guarantee “uninterrupted” supplies of oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in Delhi and asserted their bilateral ties were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Statement Directed at the Western Countries

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, who have sought to urge New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding links with Moscow. The context follows earlier Washington's moves, including the introduction of import duties against Indian goods due to its buying of Moscow's energy exports.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy supplier of fuel and everything needed for the advancement of India’s industry,” the Russian president stated. “Russia is prepared to persist in guaranteeing the uninterrupted supply of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, though he did not referencing crude specifically, reinforced the theme by saying that “energy security has been a key and vital pillar of the Indo-Russian partnership.”

Defying US Interference

In the lead-up to the talks, during a television interview, Putin had challenged American pressure regarding India's energy purchases. He argued, “If the US has the right to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India enjoy the equivalent access?”

The visit was his maiden trip to India following the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and both sides undertook a deliberate show to display that the personal rapport between the heads of state was undisturbed.

A Personal Greeting

Employing an unusual move, the Indian PM met Putin as he disembarked. They shared a warm hug as close allies before having a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister later described India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and noted it was “built on reciprocal esteem and profound confidence.”

Expanding Strategic Partnerships

Friday's talks yielded multiple significant pacts regarding military and trade relations. One significant result was the finalization of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which targets to boost mutual trade to a hundred billion USD per year by the target year.

The leaders also agreed to reshape their military partnership. While Russia is still India's biggest supplier of arms, the volume has declined over the past decade as India aims to widen its sources.

The official release emphasized cooperation in the collaborative manufacturing of advanced weapons platforms, though specific reference of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

Ultimately, both nations affirmed that in the “ongoing challenging, difficult, and uncertain geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership remain durable to external pressure.”