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In a defiant statement to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “uninterrupted” deliveries of oil to India. These remarks came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and affirmed their relationship were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Signal Directed at the West

The statement, made on Friday, appeared to be a direct challenge at the United States and its allies, that have sought to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding ties with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous American measures, such as the imposition of trade penalties targeting New Delhi because of its acquisition of Russian oil.

“Russia is a trustworthy exporter of energy resources and all necessary for the development of India’s economy,” the Russian president remarked. “Moscow stands willing to continue securing the steady delivery of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, while not referencing crude directly, reinforced the focus by noting that “energy security has been a robust and crucial cornerstone of the India-Russia alliance.”

Challenging US Interference

In the lead-up to the summit, via a television interview, Putin had challenged American pressure on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “When Washington has the right to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India enjoy the identical right?”

The visit marked his first trip to India following the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a clear attempt to display that the friendship between the heads of state was undisturbed.

A Personal Greeting

Taking an unusual step, Modi welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. They exchanged a hearty embrace akin to old friends before holding a private dinner on Thursday evening.

Modi later described India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and added it was “founded on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Strategic Partnerships

Friday's talks resulted in a number of key agreements across defence and trade relations. One significant result was the completion of an economic cooperation programme aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to increase twofold bilateral trade to $100bn annually by the target year.

The leaders also pledged to reshape their strategic cooperation. While Russia is still India's largest supplier of arms, this role has declined over the past decade as India aims to diversify its procurement.

The joint statement highlighted an agreement on the joint production of advanced defence platforms, even if explicit reference of purchases such as the Sukhoi Su-57 were left out.

Overall, both nations restated that in the “current complex, difficult, and unpredictable global landscape, the Indo-Russian partnership remain resilient to foreign influence.”