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During a defiant message to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin stated to PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to provide “continuous” supplies of energy resources to India. The announcement came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and declared their relationship were “resilient to foreign coercion.”

A Statement For the United States

Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, seemed to be a direct challenge at Washington, which have tried to compel New Delhi into curtailing its historical relations with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to recent American measures, such as additional import duties on India due to its buying of discounted Russian crude.

“Moscow remains a dependable exporter of energy resources and all needed for the development of India’s industry,” Putin remarked. “Moscow stands willing to keep ensuring the uninterrupted flow of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, though he did not naming energy directly, echoed the theme by noting that “a stable energy base has been a key and important foundation of the bilateral alliance.”

Questioning American Pressure

Before the talks, via a television interview, Putin had challenged Washington's stance on India's oil imports. Putin stated, “If the US is entitled to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege?”

This trip represented his first journey to India after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi engaged in a clear show to demonstrate that the friendship between the men persisted strongly.

A Personal Greeting

In a unusual step, Prime Minister Modi met Putin upon his arrival. The two exchanged a hearty embrace like old friends before having a one-on-one meal on Thursday evening.

The Indian prime minister referred to India's alliance with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “founded on shared respect and strong faith.”

Reaffirming Strategic Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded a number of key agreements across defence and economic cooperation. One significant result was the completion of an strategic roadmap extending until 2030, which aims to double commerce to $100bn per year by the end of the decade.

The leaders also pledged to recalibrate their military partnership. Even as Russia continues to be India's largest supplier of arms, its share has declined in recent years as India aims to diversify its supply base.

Their communique emphasized an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of cutting-edge weapons platforms, even if explicit mention of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were omitted.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that in the “ongoing challenging, strained, and uncertain geopolitical situation, their relationship continue to be durable to foreign influence.”