🔗 Share this article

In a unambiguous statement to Western nations, President Vladimir Putin stated to PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “uninterrupted” supplies of energy resources to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in Delhi and asserted their bilateral ties were “immune to foreign coercion.”

A Statement Aimed at the Western Countries

The statement, made on Friday, was widely seen to be targeted at the United States and its allies, that have tried to urge New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding ties with Moscow. The context follows previous Washington's moves, including the imposition of tariffs against Indian goods over its purchase of Russian oil.

“Moscow remains a reliable source of fuel and everything necessary for the development of India’s industry,” Putin stated. “We are ready to keep ensuring the steady supply of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

The Indian leader, without referencing crude specifically, reinforced the focus by saying that “a stable energy base has been a robust and important pillar of the India-Russia alliance.”

Questioning US Interference

Prior to the meeting, in a media interview, Putin had questioned Washington's stance regarding India's dealings with Russia. He argued, “If the US can claim the privilege to buy our nuclear fuel, then why can't India have the same privilege?”

This trip marked his first journey to India after the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Delhi undertook a clear effort to demonstrate that the bond between the men was undisturbed.

A Warm Greeting

In a unusual gesture, Prime Minister Modi met Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders shared a warm hug akin to close allies before holding a private dinner together.

He referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “built on shared respect and strong faith.”

Strengthening Defence and Economic Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded multiple significant pacts regarding military and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the signing of an strategic roadmap that runs to 2030, which targets to double mutual trade to a hundred billion USD annually by the target year.

Furthermore agreed to recalibrate their military partnership. Although Russia remains India's biggest source of weapons, this role has diminished over the past decade as India aims to broaden its supply base.

Their communique stressed an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of sophisticated defence platforms, though direct reference of deals for the Sukhoi Su-57 were omitted.

In conclusion, Russia and India restated that in the “ongoing challenging, tense, and volatile geopolitical situation, the Indo-Russian partnership remain strong to external pressure.”