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During a clear message to the West, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “continuous” supplies of oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in the Indian capital and asserted their bilateral ties were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Message For the West

This affirmation, issued after the annual summit, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, which have tried to urge New Delhi into reducing its longstanding ties with Moscow. The context follows previous US actions, notably the imposition of tariffs targeting New Delhi due to its purchase of Russian oil.

“Our nation is a dependable source of fuel and anything needed for the growth of India’s energy sector,” the Russian president said. “Moscow stands willing to persist in ensuring the consistent supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, while not naming energy explicitly, reinforced the theme by noting that “a stable energy base has been a strong and important cornerstone of the India-Russia cooperation.”

Questioning US Interference

Prior to the meeting, during a media interview, Putin had questioned American pressure over India's oil imports. Putin stated, “When Washington has the right to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India claim the equivalent access?”

The visit marked his first journey to India following the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and both sides made a visible effort to project that the personal rapport between the men persisted strongly.

An Unusual Greeting

Taking an notable step, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin as he disembarked. The two shared a warm hug akin to old friends before enjoying a private dinner on Thursday evening.

Modi later described India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and noted it was “founded on shared respect and profound confidence.”

Expanding Bilateral Partnerships

The bilateral summit produced multiple significant pacts in the fields of defence and trade relations. One significant result was the signing of an strategic roadmap that runs to 2030, which aims to double bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars each year by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also pledged to restructure their defence ties. Even as Russia continues to be India's primary exporter of arms, its share has diminished over the past decade as India has sought diversify its procurement.

The joint statement emphasized an agreement on the co-development of sophisticated defence platforms, even if direct reference of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

In conclusion, both nations affirmed that amid the “present intricate, tense, and volatile geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership stay resilient to outside forces.”