🔗 Share this article

During a unambiguous signal to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to maintain “unbroken” deliveries of energy resources to India. These remarks came as the two leaders met in New Delhi and declared their relationship were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Statement Aimed at the Western Countries

The statement, delivered Friday, seemed to be targeted at Washington, who have tried to compel New Delhi into curtailing its close ties with Moscow. The backdrop follows previous Washington's moves, such as the imposition of import duties targeting New Delhi over its buying of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a dependable source of oil and gas and anything required for the advancement of India’s industry,” the Russian president stated. “Moscow stands willing to continue guaranteeing the steady delivery of resources for the booming Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not referencing crude directly, echoed the theme by stating that “energy security has been a key and crucial foundation of the bilateral alliance.”

Defying Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the summit, in a TV appearance, Putin had criticized Washington's stance regarding India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India have the equivalent access?”

This trip was his first trip to India after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and both sides made a deliberate effort to demonstrate that the bond between the two leaders was undisturbed.

A Personal Reception

Taking an rare gesture, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. The two shared a warm hug as old friends before enjoying a private dinner together.

Modi referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “founded on reciprocal esteem and strong faith.”

Expanding Bilateral Ties

The meeting resulted in a number of significant pacts regarding military and financial collaboration. One significant result was the finalization of an joint economic plan aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to double commerce to a hundred billion USD per year by the target year.

Additionally agreed to reshape their strategic cooperation. While Russia continues to be India's primary supplier of weapons, its share has diminished in recent years as India has sought diversify its sources.

The official release highlighted cooperation in the joint production of cutting-edge weapons platforms, even if specific mention of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were omitted.

Overall, Russia and India affirmed that in the “present intricate, difficult, and volatile geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership remain durable to external pressure.”