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In a defiant message to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “uninterrupted” shipments of crude oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in the Indian capital and affirmed their relationship were “resistant to outside influence.”

A Message Directed at the United States

Putin's comments, delivered Friday, was widely seen to be targeted at the United States and its allies, which have tried to urge New Delhi into reducing its historical links with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous American measures, notably additional tariffs on India due to its buying of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a trustworthy exporter of fuel and all necessary for the advancement of India’s energy sector,” he said. “Russia is prepared to keep ensuring the consistent flow of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not referencing crude directly, supported the theme by stating that “energy security has been a key and vital cornerstone of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Questioning US Interference

In the lead-up to the meeting, during a TV appearance, Putin had criticized American pressure regarding India's oil imports. The president questioned, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our uranium, how can you deny India have the same privilege?”

Putin's arrival represented his first visit to India following the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and both sides made a visible attempt to project that the personal rapport between the heads of state persisted strongly.

An Unusual Greeting

Taking an unusual step, Modi met Putin upon his arrival. The two embraced warmly akin to close allies before holding a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a beacon” and added it was “based on mutual respect and profound confidence.”

Strengthening Strategic Cooperation

Friday's talks yielded several key agreements across military and economic cooperation. One significant result was the signing of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which targets to double mutual trade to $100bn per year by the target year.

Additionally agreed to restructure their military partnership. While Russia is still India's largest source of defence equipment, this role has reduced in recent years as India works to broaden its supply base.

The official release highlighted plans for the co-development of cutting-edge defence platforms, though explicit mention of systems like the Sukhoi Su-57 were left out.

Ultimately, both nations affirmed that during the “ongoing challenging, strained, and volatile international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to foreign influence.”