UPDATE 1-U.S.-Russia talks on Venezuela positive but no agreement on Maduro

Talks on Tuesday between the United States and Russia on Venezuela were positive and substantive but the two sides were still divided over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro, a U.S. official said. "No, we did not come to a meeting of minds, but I think the talks were positive in the sense that both sides emerged with a better understanding of the other's views," U.S. special representative Elliott Abrams told reporters. "They were useful, they were substantive, they were serious. We agreed very much on the depth of the crisis in Venezuela. We are, as they, deeply concerned about the nature and the seriousness of the humanitarian crisis," he said.

The United States and many other Western countries back Juan Guaido, head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly who invoked the constitution in January to assume an interim presidency. Russia says Maduro remains the country's only legitimate leader. "Who gets the title of president" was still a point of contention, Abrams said.

The Russian delegation at the talks, which took place in a Rome hotel and lasted more than two hours, was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. (Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Crispian Balmer)