Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is ready to provide uninterrupted shipments of fuel to India, as Delhi faces pressure from the US to stop buying Russian oil.
Putin, speaking alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, questioned earlier why India should be punished for buying oil when the US itself buys nuclear fuel from Moscow.
President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on most Indian products, arguing that Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil helped fund the war in Ukraine - an accusation India denies.
Putin's visit comes as the US holds a series of talks with Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to broker a peace deal to end the war.
On Thursday, Putin told India Today that Russia was working on a peaceful solution to ending the war - warning that Ukraine must withdraw from the Donbas or Russia would seize it.
Modi repeated India's stance that it was not neutral on the war in Ukraine and stood on the side of peace, welcoming efforts to find a lasting solution to end the war.
In recent months, India-US ties have hit an all-time low as the two countries have failed to resolve the tariff deadlock.
Putin commented on the US tariffs on India for buying Russian oil and said India should have the same opportunities available as the US.
The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn't India have the same privilege? he asked.
In his interview with India Today, he expressed confidence in increasing bilateral trade from $60bn to $100bn, emphasizing energy security as a priority for both countries.
No major defense deals were announced, but agreements were signed in areas like civil nuclear energy and shipbuilding. Additionally, Modi introduced new visa schemes for Russian tourists to India.
