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Amid a clear signal to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to provide “continuous” shipments of oil to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in New Delhi and declared their partnership were “immune to external pressure.”

A Message For the United States

The statement, delivered Friday, was widely seen to be targeted at the United States and its allies, which have tried to urge New Delhi into reducing its historical links with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to recent US actions, notably additional import duties targeting New Delhi due to its buying of Moscow's energy exports.

“Russia is a trustworthy supplier of oil and gas and all needed for the advancement of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president stated. “Russia is prepared to continue ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, while not referencing crude specifically, reinforced the theme by saying that “a stable energy base has been a robust and crucial pillar of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Questioning US Interference

Before the summit, during a media interview, Putin had challenged Washington's stance over India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “Should America can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, how can you deny India have the same privilege?”

The visit was his maiden trip to India after the start of the war in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi made a visible effort to project that the friendship between the men persisted strongly.

An Unusual Greeting

In a notable step, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders shared a warm hug like longtime companions before holding a one-on-one meal on Thursday evening.

He in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a guiding star” and said it was “based on mutual respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Strategic Cooperation

Friday's talks resulted in multiple important deals across military and financial collaboration. One significant result was the finalization of an strategic roadmap that runs to 2030, which targets to boost bilateral trade to $100bn annually by the target year.

Furthermore pledged to reshape their military partnership. While Russia is still India's biggest source of weapons, its share has declined in recent years as India works to diversify its sources.

The joint statement stressed plans for the collaborative manufacturing of advanced military systems, although specific mention of deals for the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that in the “current complex, tense, and unpredictable global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to outside forces.”