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During a unambiguous message to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” supplies of oil to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in New Delhi and asserted their bilateral ties were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Statement For the West

Putin's comments, made on Friday, seemed to be targeted at western countries, who have sought to compel New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding ties with Moscow. The backdrop comes after previous Washington's moves, such as additional tariffs targeting New Delhi over its purchase of Russian oil.

“Russia is a reliable supplier of fuel and all needed for the development of India’s economy,” the Russian president remarked. “Russia is prepared to persist in securing the consistent supply of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

Modi, though he did not referencing crude directly, supported the theme by stating that “secure fuel supplies has been a robust and vital cornerstone of the Indo-Russian cooperation.”

Challenging American Pressure

Prior to the summit, via a media interview, Putin had challenged American pressure regarding India's energy purchases. He argued, “When Washington has the right to buy our uranium, then why can't India have the identical right?”

Putin's arrival marked his first journey to India after the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi undertook a deliberate attempt to project that the bond between the heads of state remained intact.

An Unusual Greeting

Taking an notable step, Prime Minister Modi met Putin right off the plane. The two exchanged a hearty embrace like close allies before having a private dinner together.

The Indian prime minister referred to India's relationship with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “founded on mutual respect and deep trust.”

Expanding Strategic Cooperation

Friday's talks produced multiple key agreements in the fields of military and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the finalization of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which targets to double commerce to one hundred billion dollars each year by the 2030 deadline.

Additionally pledged to recalibrate their defence ties. Even as Russia is still India's primary source of arms, this role has declined over the past decade as India works to diversify its supply base.

The joint statement highlighted plans for the joint production of cutting-edge military systems, though explicit mention of purchases such as the Su-57 fighter jet were not made.

In conclusion, both nations restated that amid the “ongoing challenging, tense, and volatile international environment, the Indo-Russian partnership continue to be strong to foreign influence.”