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During a unambiguous message to the United States, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “uninterrupted” shipments of crude oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in Delhi and declared their bilateral ties were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Statement Aimed at the West

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be targeted at the United States and its allies, who have sought to pressure New Delhi into curtailing its historical relations with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to earlier American measures, such as additional trade penalties on India due to its purchase of Russian oil.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy source of oil and gas and anything necessary for the growth of India’s industry,” he said. “Russia is prepared to continue guaranteeing the uninterrupted flow of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Modi, though he did not referencing crude specifically, reinforced the focus by stating that “energy security has been a robust and crucial foundation of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Defying Washington's Stance

Prior to the summit, during a TV appearance, Putin had criticized US interference over India's oil imports. He argued, “When Washington is entitled to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India enjoy the equivalent access?”

This trip represented his maiden trip to India after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and both sides made a clear effort to demonstrate that the bond between the two leaders was undisturbed.

A Personal Welcome

Employing an notable step, Prime Minister Modi met Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders embraced warmly as close allies before having a private dinner the night before the summit.

Modi in his statement called India's partnership with Russia as “a lodestar” and noted it was “built on reciprocal esteem and strong faith.”

Expanding Defence and Economic Cooperation

Friday's talks resulted in a number of key agreements regarding defence and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the signing of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which targets to boost mutual trade to a hundred billion USD per year by the 2030 deadline.

Furthermore agreed to restructure their military partnership. Even as Russia is still India's biggest supplier of defence equipment, this role has declined in recent years as India aims to diversify its procurement.

Their communique stressed plans for the joint production of cutting-edge weapons platforms, even if direct mention of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

Ultimately, Russia and India affirmed that amid the “present intricate, tense, and uncertain global landscape, Russian-Indian ties stay strong to foreign influence.”