Russia has reiterated its commitment to sustaining crude oil deliveries to India, even as international sanctions intensify, with President Vladimir Putin expected to visit New Delhi for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year.

Roman Babushkin, Russia’s chargé d’affaires in India, told reporters on Wednesday that Moscow and New Delhi had established a “very, very special mechanism” to safeguard energy flows. While Putin’s trip has been confirmed, officials said dates are still being finalised.

India has sharply increased its purchases of discounted Russian crude since the West imposed sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The surge has drawn criticism from Washington, which is set to impose a 25% tariff on Indian exports from August 28. Notably, the U.S. has not applied comparable measures against China, another major buyer of Russian oil.

Meanwhile, the European Union last month sanctioned Nayara Energy, a Russian-linked refiner based in India, forcing it to scale back operations as international traders reduced dealings.

Despite these headwinds, Russian officials project bilateral trade with India will continue to grow at about 10% annually.

The planned Putin-Modi summit highlights the resilience of Russia-India ties and underscores how energy cooperation remains central to their relationship, even as geopolitical frictions with Western powers deepen.