🔗 Share this article

During a clear statement to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “unbroken” shipments of energy resources to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and affirmed their relationship were “immune to external pressure.”

A Statement Directed at the Western Countries

This affirmation, made on Friday, appeared to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, that have tried to urge New Delhi into reducing its longstanding ties with Moscow. The backdrop comes after previous American measures, including additional tariffs against Indian goods because of its purchase of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a reliable supplier of fuel and all needed for the growth of India’s industry,” Putin said. “Moscow stands willing to keep securing the uninterrupted delivery of resources for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Modi, while not naming energy explicitly, reinforced the sentiment by saying that “energy security has been a robust and important foundation of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Defying Washington's Stance

In the lead-up to the meeting, via a television interview, Putin had questioned US interference regarding India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India have the identical right?”

The visit was his maiden trip to India since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a deliberate attempt to demonstrate that the friendship between the men was undisturbed.

A Warm Reception

In a rare move, Modi welcomed directly Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders embraced warmly like old friends before enjoying a one-on-one meal on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “founded on shared respect and strong faith.”

Strengthening Strategic Ties

Friday's talks resulted in multiple key agreements in the fields of defence and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which sets a goal to double commerce to one hundred billion dollars each year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also pledged to recalibrate their strategic cooperation. While Russia remains India's primary source of arms, the volume has declined in recent years as India has sought diversify its sources.

The official release emphasized plans for the joint production of advanced defence platforms, though specific details of deals for the fifth-generation aircraft were not made.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that during the “ongoing challenging, difficult, and uncertain geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership stay strong to external pressure.”