🔗 Share this article Putin Assures Uninterrupted Energy Supplies to the Indian Nation in Defiance of US Demands Amid a clear message to the West, President Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “continuous” supplies of oil to India. These remarks came during a summit where both heads of state met in Delhi and declared their relationship were “immune to outside influence.” A Signal Aimed at the West The statement, made on Friday, was widely seen to be a direct challenge at Washington, which have tried to compel New Delhi into curtailing its close ties with Moscow. This comes follows earlier Washington's moves, notably the introduction of trade penalties targeting New Delhi over its buying of Moscow's energy exports. “Our nation is a trustworthy supplier of fuel and everything needed for the advancement of India’s economy,” the Russian president stated. “Moscow stands willing to continue ensuring the consistent flow of energy for the rapidly growing Indian economy.” Modi, while not mentioning oil specifically, supported the focus by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a robust and important foundation of the India-Russia alliance.” Questioning Washington's Stance Before the meeting, in a television interview, Putin had challenged Washington's stance over India's energy purchases. Putin stated, “Should America is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, how can you deny India have the equivalent access?” This trip represented his maiden visit to India following the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a visible attempt to demonstrate that the personal rapport between the two leaders persisted strongly. An Unusual Greeting Taking an rare step, the Indian PM met Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders shared a warm hug as old friends before holding a private dinner on Thursday evening. Modi referred to India's relationship with Russia as “a lodestar” and said it was “based on mutual respect and strong faith.” Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation The meeting yielded several important deals regarding defence and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the completion of an economic cooperation programme extending until 2030, which sets a goal to double commerce to one hundred billion dollars annually by the end of the decade. Additionally vowed to reshape their military partnership. While Russia is still India's largest source of arms, this role has reduced over the past decade as India has sought diversify its procurement. Their communique stressed cooperation in the co-development of sophisticated military systems, even if specific details of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were omitted. Ultimately, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that in the “current complex, difficult, and volatile international environment, Russian-Indian ties remain durable to external pressure.”