Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Friday that he will continue to supply oil to India, despite the sanctions imposed by the United States on New Delhi.
India has been under pressure for several months from the United States, which accuses it of financing the Russian war effort in Ukraine by continuing to buy its oil from Moscow at particularly favorable prices.
In August, US President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Indian products to 50%.
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“Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal and everything necessary for India’s energy development,” Putin declared during a visit to New Delhi, where he was received in style.
He continued to the press, at the end of a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “We are ready to continue delivering oil without interruption to the Indian economy.”
Without explicitly referring to oil, Modi thanked his guest for his “steadfast support” and stressed that “energy security constitutes an important and solid pillar” of their partnership.
Trump has repeatedly said that he received a promise from Modi to end his imports of Russian crude, but New Delhi has never confirmed this. However, its purchases have declined, according to business intelligence platform Kpler, and several Indian groups have announced they will abandon their sourcing from Moscow.
Before the meeting, Modi described Putin as a “true friend” and expressed his confidence in reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, stressing the need to “return to the path of peace.”
The Russian President expressed his appreciation for their efforts and stressed the “deep” relations and “great confidence” in military and technical cooperation with India. India has always maintained a cautious stance towards the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He never supported it, but he never publicly condemned it.
Its prime minister has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to a “multipolar” world order, and has resisted pressure from Western countries to distance himself from Russia.
Stumbling dialogue. As Putin reaches out to India and China, the United States is seeking to persuade the Ukrainian government to accept the Kremlin’s terms.
On Friday, Ukrainian negotiators held a new meeting in Miami, Florida, with representatives of Donald Trump’s government to discuss the American plan to end the war.
A senior White House official, who requested anonymity, said that Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and US President’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Kiev’s chief negotiator, Rustam Omerov.
The American duo met with Vladimir Putin for five hours on Tuesday. The Russian leader continues to demand the handover of Ukraine’s eastern provinces in order to accept the peace agreement.