India, Sept. 15 -- Russia has said that efforts by Western nations like the USA to undermine its long-standing partnership with India will not succeed, praising New Delhi for pursuing an independent foreign policy.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, quoted exclusively by RT, "Attempts to harm our relations with India will fail." She noted that India has resisted Western pressure to cut trade or strategic engagement with Moscow.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the partnership with India is "of strategic importance" and that both countries will continue to expand cooperation across defence, energy, and trade.

India has consistently maintained that its decisions are based on national interests an...