Putin promised India "uninterrupted" oil supplies amid Trump's disapproval
Kyiv • UNN
Vladimir Putin told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is ready to continue uninterrupted oil supplies. This happened during the annual summit in New Delhi, where the leaders reaffirmed the resilience of their ties to external pressure.
Kremlin head Vladimir Putin told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is ready to continue "uninterrupted" oil supplies to India, signaling a defiant stance as the two leaders met in New Delhi and reaffirmed that their ties are "resilient to external pressure," UNN reports, citing The Guardian.
Details
The statement, made on Friday after the annual India-Russia summit, appeared to be aimed at Western countries, particularly the United States, which have tried to pressure New Delhi to reduce its ties with Moscow, the publication notes.
US President Donald Trump in August imposed an additional 25% import duty on India for its purchase of cheap Russian oil, arguing that it undermines US sanctions and helps Putin finance the invasion of Ukraine.
The punitive tariffs were met with anger in New Delhi and called unfounded and unjustified by the Indian government. India's relations with Russia date back decades and are considered one of the country's most important defense and geopolitical alliances, the publication writes.
In his statement, Putin, as the publication notes, made it clear that Russia has no intention of backing down in the face of US pressure regarding its energy cooperation with India.
"Russia is a reliable supplier of energy resources and everything necessary for the development of India's energy sector," Putin said. "We are ready to continue to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies for India's rapidly growing economy."
Modi did not directly mention oil in his statement but said that "energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership."
This was Putin's first visit to India since his invasion of Ukraine, and there was a noticeable attempt to show that the relationship between the two leaders had not been disrupted, the publication notes.
Modi took the unusual step of greeting Putin directly from the plane, and they warmly embraced like old friends before having dinner together on Thursday evening.
In his statement, Modi called India's partnership with Russia a "guiding star" and said that "this relationship, based on mutual respect and deep trust, has always stood the test of time."
In a joint statement released after the talks, both leaders emphasized "that in the current complex, tense and uncertain geopolitical situation, Russian-Indian ties remain resilient to external pressure."
Before his arrival in Delhi, Putin promised to expand cooperation with India and China, despite economic sanctions against Russia from the US and the EU.
Friday's bilateral summit resulted in numerous agreements between the two countries in the field of defense and economic cooperation. The two countries finalized an economic cooperation program until 2030, which aims to double trade to $100 billion per year by 2030.
The two leaders also agreed to change their defense ties. Russia remains India's largest arms supplier, although this figure has decreased in recent years as New Delhi seeks diversification.
Although there was no direct mention of India's acquisition of specific Russian defense systems or Su-57 fighters, they agreed on joint production of advanced defense platforms, the publication notes.