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During a defiant statement to the United States, President Vladimir Putin has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia remains committed to maintain “continuous” supplies of energy resources to India. This declaration came as the two leaders met in Delhi and declared their relationship were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Message For the United States

The statement, delivered Friday, appeared to be targeted at Washington, which have repeatedly attempted to pressure New Delhi into reducing its longstanding ties with Moscow. This comes is in response to recent Washington's moves, notably the introduction of tariffs against Indian goods over its purchase of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a reliable supplier of oil and gas and everything needed for the development of India’s industry,” the Russian president stated. “We are ready to persist in securing the steady supply of fuel for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Modi, while not naming energy directly, echoed the focus by stating that “secure fuel supplies has been a strong and vital cornerstone of the Indo-Russian alliance.”

Questioning US Interference

In the lead-up to the summit, in a media interview, Putin had questioned Washington's stance over India's dealings with Russia. The president questioned, “Should America is entitled to buy our nuclear fuel, why shouldn’t India claim the identical right?”

Putin's arrival marked his maiden visit to India since the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and both sides made a clear attempt to project that the friendship between the men was undisturbed.

A Personal Welcome

In a unusual move, Modi welcomed directly Putin as he disembarked. They shared a warm hug akin to close allies before having a closed-door supper on Thursday evening.

Modi referred to India's relationship with Russia as “a guiding star” and added it was “founded on shared respect and deep trust.”

Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation

The bilateral summit yielded a number of important deals in the fields of defence and trade relations. A major outcome was the completion of an joint economic plan extending until 2030, which aims to increase twofold commerce to $100bn each year by the target year.

Additionally pledged to reshape their strategic cooperation. Even as Russia remains India's largest exporter of arms, its share has reduced over the past decade as India works to diversify its supply base.

Their communique emphasized plans for the co-development of sophisticated military systems, even if specific details of purchases such as the Sukhoi Su-57 were left out.

Overall, Moscow and Delhi affirmed that in the “current complex, difficult, and uncertain international environment, their relationship continue to be resilient to external pressure.”