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In a defiant statement to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to guarantee “unbroken” deliveries of crude oil to India. These remarks came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and affirmed their partnership were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Message Aimed at the Western Countries

The statement, made on Friday, appeared to be targeted at the United States and its allies, that have tried to compel New Delhi into reducing its close relations with Moscow. The backdrop follows previous Washington's moves, notably the introduction of trade penalties on India because of its buying of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a trustworthy exporter of fuel and all needed for the development of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president stated. “We are ready to persist in guaranteeing the steady delivery of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not naming energy directly, supported the sentiment by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and vital pillar of the India-Russia cooperation.”

Challenging US Interference

Before the talks, via a media interview, Putin had challenged American pressure regarding India's oil imports. He argued, “If the US is entitled to buy our uranium, then why can't India have the equivalent access?”

This trip represented his maiden trip to India after the start of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a visible attempt to project that the personal rapport between the two leaders was undisturbed.

A Personal Welcome

Employing an rare step, Modi personally greeted Putin right off the plane. The two embraced warmly like old friends before enjoying a one-on-one meal on Thursday evening.

Modi later described India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “built on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Strategic Partnerships

Friday's talks produced several significant pacts regarding defence and trade relations. One significant result was the completion of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which sets a goal to boost commerce to a hundred billion USD per year by the target year.

Furthermore agreed to restructure their military partnership. Although Russia continues to be India's largest source of arms, this role has reduced in recent years as India aims to diversify its sources.

The joint statement highlighted plans for the collaborative manufacturing of advanced weapons platforms, even if explicit reference of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

Overall, Russia and India restated that amid the “present intricate, strained, and uncertain geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be durable to foreign influence.”