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Amid a clear message to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “unbroken” supplies of oil to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and asserted their relationship were “resilient to external pressure.”

A Statement For the United States

The statement, issued after the annual summit, appeared to be a direct challenge at western countries, who have tried to urge New Delhi into scaling back its close relations with Moscow. This comes comes after recent American measures, including additional trade penalties against Indian goods because of its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a trustworthy supplier of fuel and anything needed for the development of India’s energy sector,” he remarked. “Moscow stands willing to continue guaranteeing the uninterrupted flow of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without naming energy specifically, reinforced the theme by noting that “secure fuel supplies has been a strong and vital cornerstone of the India-Russia alliance.”

Challenging Washington's Stance

Before the meeting, in a media interview, Putin had questioned Washington's stance over India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “Should America can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege?”

The visit marked his initial trip to India following the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and both sides made a visible attempt to demonstrate that the friendship between the two leaders persisted strongly.

An Unusual Welcome

Employing an notable gesture, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin right off the plane. The two exchanged a hearty embrace akin to close allies before holding a one-on-one meal together.

Modi referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and noted it was “based on reciprocal esteem and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Cooperation

The bilateral summit produced several key agreements across defence and financial collaboration. A major outcome was the finalization of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which targets to increase twofold bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars annually by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally vowed to restructure their strategic cooperation. Although Russia remains India's biggest exporter of arms, its share has reduced over the past decade as India aims to diversify its sources.

Their communique emphasized cooperation in the co-development of advanced military systems, although specific mention of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

In conclusion, both nations affirmed that in the “ongoing challenging, tense, and volatile international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be resilient to outside forces.”