🔗 Share this article Putin Pledges Steady Crude Oil Deliveries to India in Snub of American Sanctions In a defiant signal to the United States, President Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to maintain “unbroken” shipments of energy resources to India. This declaration came during a summit where both heads of state met in the Indian capital and declared their partnership were “resistant to outside influence.” A Message Directed at the West The statement, made on Friday, seemed to be targeted at Washington, that have sought to urge New Delhi into reducing its close ties with Moscow. The backdrop follows earlier US actions, including the introduction of tariffs on India over its purchase of discounted Russian crude. “Our nation is a trustworthy exporter of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India’s economy,” he said. “Russia is prepared to persist in ensuring the consistent delivery of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.” Modi, without referencing crude specifically, reinforced the theme by stating that “a stable energy base has been a strong and crucial cornerstone of the Indo-Russian partnership.” Questioning US Interference Prior to the talks, via a television interview, Putin had challenged Washington's stance over India's energy purchases. He argued, “If the US is entitled to buy our atomic materials, how can you deny India have the same privilege?” This trip represented his maiden journey to India since the onset of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations undertook a deliberate effort to display that the friendship between the two leaders persisted strongly. A Personal Greeting Taking an notable step, Modi personally greeted Putin right off the plane. They embraced warmly as close allies before holding a one-on-one meal on Thursday evening. Modi referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a guiding star” and noted it was “built on mutual respect and deep trust.” Reaffirming Bilateral Partnerships Friday's talks yielded a number of significant pacts in the fields of military and economic cooperation. One significant result was the signing of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which targets to increase twofold commerce to a hundred billion USD annually by the 2030 deadline. The leaders also vowed to recalibrate their military partnership. Although Russia is still India's primary exporter of defence equipment, its share has declined over the past decade as India works to broaden its supply base. The joint statement stressed an agreement on the co-development of advanced weapons platforms, even if specific mention of deals for the Su-57 fighter jet were omitted. In conclusion, Russia and India reiterated that amid the “present intricate, difficult, and unpredictable international environment, their relationship continue to be strong to outside forces.”