Russian and US negotiators held their first meeting since the Iran war started, discussing energy and relations as Washington eased some sanctions on Russian oil.
WASHINGTON: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy reported a “productive meeting” with US negotiators on Wednesday, marking the first official talks between Moscow and Washington since the onset of the Iran war.
The discussions, held in Florida, followed a US decision earlier this week to lift some sanctions on Russian oil originally imposed due to Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a move aimed at easing prices as conflict engulfs the Middle East.
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev thanked US President Donald Trump’s roving global envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and White House Senior Advisor Josh Gruenbaum for the meeting in a post on social media platform X.
Witkoff confirmed the talks had taken place, stating earlier that the teams discussed a variety of topics and agreed to stay in touch.
Trump said this week that Putin, whom he spoke with on Monday, wanted to be “helpful” regarding the Middle East war.
Following the Florida meeting, Dmitriev asserted that Washington was “beginning to better understand” the crucial role of Russian oil in the global economy.
He elaborated in a Telegram post that the teams discussed promising projects which could contribute to restoring Russian-American relations and addressing the current crisis in global energy markets.
Dmitriev argued that many countries, primarily the United States, are now recognising the key, systemic role of Russian oil and gas in ensuring global economic stability, as well as the ineffectiveness and destructive nature of sanctions against Russia.
