Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India for a two-day official visit, greeted by New Delhi city streets decked out in "Welcome to India" posters, celebratory images of Putin's portrait, and alternating Russian and Indian flags. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was actually present at the airport in Delhi to receive Putin Thursday night, which marks a rare break from protocol.

The Russian leader met with Prime Minister Modi and senior Indian officials, and the agenda included a wreath-laying ceremony at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, the signing of economic and strategic partners ship deals, and participation in the Russian-Indian Business Forum. Putin's last trip to India was five years ago, in 2021, and Modi's visit to Moscow last year came at a sensitive and crucial point at which the West was trying to impose total isolation on Moscow, amid the grinding Ukraine war.

Modi during the Putin meeting hailed the two countries' relations as "steadfast like a pole star" - while the Russian leader  praised his Indian counterpart for resisting "external pressure" and investing in closer relations. Trump has already hit India with an additional trade tariff of 25% over continued purchases of Russian energy, taking the total to a steep 50% on Indian goods exported to the US.

All eyes are on their oil trade amid US sanctions and tariff pressures on India from the Trump administration. On this crucial front, Putin said that Russia was prepared to continue "uninterrupted" crude oil shipments to India.

Russia is "ready to continue to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fuel for the rapidly growing Indian economy," Putin pledged.

At a moment that Washington and the EU have loudly denounced that India's purchases of cheap Russian oil help finance Moscow's war in Ukraine. Putin stated while in Delhi, "The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. That is also fuel," according to his words to India Today.

He questioned while pointing out the clear contradiction, "If the U.S. has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege? This question deserves thorough examination, and we stand ready to discuss it, including with President Trump." According to more of Putin's pushback:

India has said Trump’s tariffs are unjustified and unreasonable and pointed at ongoing U.S. trade with Moscow. The U.S. and European Union continue to import billions of dollars’ worth of Russian energy and commodities, ranging from liquefied natural gas to enriched uranium.

“There is a certain decline in overall trade turnover during the first nine months of this year,” Putin said when asked whether Indian oil purchases had fallen under pressure from the West.

“This is just a minor adjustment. Overall, our trade turnover stands almost at the same level as before.” He added: “Trade in petroleum products and crude oil ... Russian oil, is running smoothly in India.”

Additionally the two agreed to take the "India-Russia economic partnership to new heights" under the India-Russia economic cooperation program until 2030, for which they signed a number of memorandums which set out an ambitious trade target of $100 billion.

Just ahead of the trip, the Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin had previewed of some of the Kremlin's goals, "The Russian delegation and businesses have come to buy Indian goods and services, and we want to significantly increase purchases. This is not a temporary story, but a strategic choice for developing relations between the world's third-and fourth-largest economies."

"Today, India is one of the key drivers of the global economy. Considering its demographics and urbanization, India is a global growth leader for the coming decades and a significant player in global trade. India has achieved significant results in science and technology," Oreshkin added.

The US-led international sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft have just translated to more exports via other Russian companies:

PM Modi in turn confirmed that "Both sides are working towards the early conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union."

On India's dealing with Trump and tariffs, Putin struck a tone of optimism, also as Moscow is engaged in its own direct talks with Washington. "We hope that, in the end, all violations of World Trade Organization regulations will be rectified," Putin said.