🔗 Share this article Russian President Vladimir Putin Assures Continuous Oil Shipments to India in Snub of American Pressure During a defiant statement to Western nations, Leader Vladimir Putin has told PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to guarantee “unbroken” supplies of crude oil to India. The announcement came as the two leaders met in Delhi and declared their relationship were “resilient to external pressure.” A Signal For the Western Countries Putin's comments, issued after the annual summit, appeared to be a pointed rebuke at western countries, who have repeatedly attempted to pressure New Delhi into reducing its close relations with Moscow. The backdrop follows previous US actions, such as the imposition of import duties on India because of its acquisition of discounted Russian crude. “Russia is a dependable exporter of energy resources and everything required for the development of India’s industry,” the Russian president stated. “We are ready to continue securing the uninterrupted delivery of energy for the booming Indian economy.” Prime Minister Modi, while not naming energy explicitly, echoed the theme by saying that “secure fuel supplies has been a key and crucial cornerstone of the India-Russia cooperation.” Challenging American Pressure Before the meeting, in a TV appearance, Putin had criticized Washington's stance over India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “Should America has the right to buy our uranium, then why can't India claim the equivalent access?” The visit marked his first journey to India after the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and both sides engaged in a visible attempt to demonstrate that the bond between the heads of state was undisturbed. A Personal Reception Employing an rare move, the Indian PM personally greeted Putin upon his arrival. Both leaders embraced warmly like close allies before holding a private dinner the night before the summit. He in his statement called India's alliance with Russia as “a beacon” and added it was “built on reciprocal esteem and strong faith.” Expanding Bilateral Partnerships Friday's talks produced multiple important deals in the fields of military and economic cooperation. A major outcome was the signing of an strategic roadmap that runs to 2030, which aims to boost mutual trade to one hundred billion dollars per year by the target year. Furthermore pledged to restructure their military partnership. Although Russia remains India's biggest source of weapons, its share has declined in recent years as India aims to widen its supply base. The joint statement stressed plans for the collaborative manufacturing of advanced defence platforms, though specific details of purchases such as the fifth-generation aircraft were left out. Overall, Moscow and Delhi reiterated that amid the “ongoing challenging, difficult, and volatile international environment, their relationship remain strong to external pressure.”