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In a unambiguous statement to the United States, Leader Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia stands ready to guarantee “uninterrupted” supplies of energy resources to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in New Delhi and affirmed their bilateral ties were “immune to outside influence.”

A Signal For the Western Countries

The statement, made on Friday, was widely seen to be targeted at the United States and its allies, who have tried to compel New Delhi into scaling back its longstanding relations with Moscow. The backdrop is in response to previous Washington's moves, notably additional import duties against Indian goods because of its acquisition of Moscow's energy exports.

“Moscow remains a trustworthy exporter of oil and gas and anything required for the development of India’s industry,” the Russian president said. “Russia is prepared to persist in ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of energy for the booming Indian economy.”

Modi, while not mentioning oil specifically, echoed the focus by noting that “a stable energy base has been a key and important foundation of the bilateral alliance.”

Challenging American Pressure

In the lead-up to the meeting, during a media interview, Putin had challenged American pressure over India's energy purchases. The president questioned, “If the US can claim the privilege to buy our atomic materials, why shouldn’t India enjoy the identical right?”

Putin's arrival marked his maiden visit to India after the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations made a clear show to project that the friendship between the two leaders remained intact.

An Unusual Welcome

Taking an unusual step, Modi met Putin as he disembarked. Both leaders embraced warmly like old friends before enjoying a one-on-one meal together.

Modi referred to India's partnership with Russia as “a lodestar” and noted it was “based on shared respect and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Partnerships

Friday's talks resulted in multiple key agreements in the fields of military and trade relations. A cornerstone agreement was the signing of an strategic roadmap aimed at 2030, which sets a goal to boost bilateral trade to $100bn annually by the target year.

Furthermore vowed to restructure their defence ties. Even as Russia is still India's biggest source of weapons, its share has declined over the past decade as India has sought widen its procurement.

The official release highlighted an agreement on the joint production of advanced military systems, even if explicit mention of systems like the Su-57 fighter jet were left out.

In conclusion, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that during the “current complex, strained, and unpredictable geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties remain durable to external pressure.”