RoydadNaft –  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their strong energy partnership during a bilateral summit in New Delhi this month, with Moscow pledging uninterrupted fuel supplies despite mounting U.S. sanctions and tariffs aimed at curbing India’s imports of discounted Russian crude.

Putin, on his first visit to India since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, declared that Russia is committed to reliable deliveries of oil and gas to support India’s growing economy. “Our ties are resilient to external pressure,” he said, while criticizing U.S. “hypocrisy” for continuing its own imports of Russian enriched uranium even as it penalizes others.

Modi echoed the sentiment, describing energy security as a “key pillar” of the India-Russia relationship. The leaders also finalized an economic cooperation program through 2030, targeting $100 billion in annual bilateral trade.

Since Western sanctions rerouted Russian oil exports after the Ukraine war, India has emerged as one of Moscow’s top buyers, ramping up seaborne crude imports from just 2.5% of its total in 2021 to around 40-50% in recent years. November imports hit a five-month high of nearly 1.9 million barrels per day, according to tracking data, even as U.S. President Donald Trump imposed punitive tariffs—doubling rates to 50% on many Indian goods—in response to the trade.

Trump has repeatedly claimed Modi assured him India would halt Russian oil purchases, but New Delhi has pushed back, prioritizing affordable energy for its 1.4 billion people. Indian refiners are adapting by shifting to non-sanctioned Russian suppliers and shadow tanker fleets to bypass restrictions on major producers like Rosneft and Lukoil.

Analysts say the summit signals India’s determination to maintain the lucrative discounted supplies, balancing U.S. pressure with strategic ties to Russia in defense, trade, and energy.