WASHINGTON, United States, March 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy met US negotiators in Florida on Wednesday, the United States said, in their first talks since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

"The teams discussed a variety of topics and agreed to stay in touch," Trump's roving global envoy Steve Witkoff said in a statement on X after the talks with Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.

The talks come after the US earlier this week lifted some sanctions on Russian oil -- imposed because of Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine -- to ease prices amid the Iran war.

Trump said this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he spoke to on Monday, wanted to be "helpful" in relation to the Middle East war.