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Amid a defiant statement to the United States, President Vladimir Putin informed PM Narendra Modi that Russia is prepared to maintain “continuous” supplies of crude oil to India. This declaration came when Putin and Modi met in the Indian capital and asserted their bilateral ties were “resistant to external pressure.”

A Statement Directed at the West

The statement, delivered Friday, appeared to be a pointed rebuke at western countries, who have sought to urge New Delhi into reducing its close links with Moscow. This comes follows earlier US actions, notably additional import duties against Indian goods due to its buying of discounted Russian crude.

“Russia is a dependable source of fuel and anything necessary for the growth of India’s economy,” he stated. “We are ready to continue ensuring the consistent flow of resources for the fast-expanding Indian economy.”

Prime Minister Modi, while not referencing crude directly, supported the sentiment by noting that “a stable energy base has been a robust and crucial pillar of the bilateral partnership.”

Questioning Washington's Stance

Prior to the meeting, during a television interview, Putin had challenged US interference regarding India's energy purchases. Putin stated, “When Washington can claim the privilege to buy our nuclear fuel, why shouldn’t India enjoy the equivalent access?”

Putin's arrival was his first journey to India since the beginning of the situation in Ukraine, and the two nations made a deliberate attempt to project that the friendship between the two leaders persisted strongly.

A Warm Welcome

Employing an notable move, the Indian PM welcomed directly Putin upon his arrival. The two shared a warm hug as old friends before enjoying a one-on-one meal the night before the summit.

He in his statement called India's relationship with Russia as “a beacon” and said it was “based on shared respect and deep trust.”

Reaffirming Defence and Economic Cooperation

Friday's talks yielded a number of significant pacts in the fields of defence and economic cooperation. A cornerstone agreement was the finalization of an joint economic plan that runs to 2030, which sets a goal to double bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars per year by the 2030 deadline.

The leaders also pledged to reshape their military partnership. Even as Russia is still India's primary source of weapons, the volume has reduced over the past decade as India aims to widen its procurement.

The official release emphasized an agreement on the collaborative manufacturing of sophisticated weapons platforms, although explicit mention of systems like the fifth-generation aircraft were left out.

In conclusion, both nations reiterated that during the “ongoing challenging, tense, and volatile geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties stay strong to foreign influence.”