In a defiant message to the West, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to guarantee “unbroken” shipments of crude oil to India. This declaration came as the two leaders met in Delhi and asserted their relationship were “resilient to foreign coercion.”
This affirmation, made on Friday, seemed to be a pointed rebuke at Washington, which have sought to urge New Delhi into curtailing its longstanding links with Moscow. This comes is in response to previous American measures, including the imposition of tariffs against Indian goods because of its acquisition of Moscow's energy exports.
“Our nation is a dependable supplier of oil and gas and everything required for the advancement of India’s economy,” Putin stated. “We are ready to continue ensuring the consistent supply of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”
The Indian leader, without naming energy directly, echoed the focus by saying that “a stable energy base has been a key and important foundation of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”
Before the summit, via a TV appearance, Putin had criticized American pressure on India's dealings with Russia. Putin stated, “When Washington is entitled to buy our atomic materials, then why can't India claim the same privilege?”
The visit marked his maiden visit to India after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and the two nations engaged in a visible effort to display that the bond between the heads of state remained intact.
Taking an rare gesture, Modi met Putin right off the plane. They exchanged a hearty embrace akin to old friends before enjoying a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.
The Indian prime minister later described India's partnership with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “based on mutual respect and profound confidence.”
The meeting resulted in several key agreements in the fields of defence and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the signing of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to double bilateral trade to $100bn each year by the end of the decade.
The leaders also vowed to reshape their military partnership. While Russia continues to be India's largest exporter of defence equipment, its share has declined in recent years as India works to widen its supply base.
The joint statement stressed cooperation in the co-development of advanced defence platforms, even if specific reference of purchases such as the Sukhoi Su-57 were not made.
Ultimately, Russia and India reiterated that in the “ongoing challenging, difficult, and unpredictable global landscape, Russian-Indian ties stay durable to outside forces.”
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