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During a unambiguous statement to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to guarantee “unbroken” deliveries of crude oil to India. These remarks came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and affirmed their relationship were “immune to outside influence.”

A Statement Aimed at the West

This affirmation, delivered Friday, was widely seen to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, that have tried to urge New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding ties with Moscow. The context is in response to recent US actions, including the imposition of trade penalties on India due to its acquisition of Moscow's energy exports.

“Russia is a dependable source of energy resources and anything needed for the advancement of India’s energy sector,” he stated. “Moscow stands willing to continue securing the steady supply of energy for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without naming energy directly, echoed the sentiment by noting that “energy security has been a robust and important pillar of the bilateral cooperation.”

Defying Washington's Stance

Before the meeting, during a TV appearance, Putin had challenged American pressure on India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “Should America is entitled to buy our uranium, then why can't India claim the equivalent access?”

This trip was his maiden visit to India since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides engaged in a visible effort to project that the bond between the two leaders was undisturbed.

A Warm Greeting

Employing an rare gesture, Prime Minister Modi welcomed directly Putin as he disembarked. They shared a warm hug akin to close allies before having a private dinner the night before the summit.

He in his statement called India's partnership with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “founded on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Strengthening Defence and Economic Cooperation

Friday's talks produced several key agreements regarding military and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the signing of an joint economic plan aimed at 2030, which aims to boost commerce to one hundred billion dollars each year by the target year.

Furthermore vowed to recalibrate their defence ties. Even as Russia remains India's largest exporter of defence equipment, this role has diminished over the past decade as India works to diversify its procurement.

The joint statement highlighted plans for the joint production of cutting-edge defence platforms, though specific mention of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

In conclusion, both nations affirmed that amid the “ongoing challenging, strained, and unpredictable global landscape, their relationship stay resilient to outside forces.”