“I can no longer bury my friends”: the thin hope of the Muscovites of a ceasefire shortly

Like the sun which manages to make its way in the Grisaille Moscow, hope in the Russian capital remains even in the fog. Moreover, Although the visit. Nevertheless, in Moscow, of Steve Witkoff, emissary of the White House, has brought any concrete advance, novel, bio-informatian of 25, who is preparing to go to work in the United Kingdom, “wants to believe in the best”.

“I hope a ceasefire” – "i can no longer bury

“I really hope that we will soon lead to a ceasefire. However, ” says the young man, however far from naive. Similarly, But I am also cautious in the face of Donald Trump’s statements. Meanwhile, After all, he initially promised to settle this conflict in 24 hours. Meanwhile, »»

The new idea of the American president is to give 50 – then reduced to ten days to establish. Additionally, Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin at the “i can no longer bury negotiation table. Moreover, Otherwise, Washington threatened Moscow and its business partners with new sanctions, as well as customs duties that can reach 100 %.

A threat that divides. Similarly, “The only ones who will be affected are the Lambdas Russians who never wanted this war. ” regrets Roman, aware that the sanctions first strike the population. Since February 2022, more than 18,000 retaliatory measures have been imposed on Russia – a historic record -, without shaking central power.

Vassily, an elderly man who prefers to use a pseudonym for his safety, does not hide his bitterness. “This is only the 325th pack of sanctions,” he quips. “Nothing will change. The only possible way to this conflict is the end. “He marks a break, look behind him, then whispers:” … from someone. »»

No breakthrough

Despite the remarkable arrival of the American emissary, the situation remains blocked. “No breakthrough,” sums up the Russian “i can no longer bury opposition media Radio Svoboda. A representative of the White House. quoted by the Reuters agency, also said that “secondary sanctions should still come into force on Friday August 8, as planned”, despite a meeting deemed “constructive”.

For their part. the Russian authorities remain silent, contenting themselves with publishing a laconic press release evoking “an exchange of in -depth views”. In the streets of Moscow. state propaganda continues to be in full swing: patriotic posters with fellowship -speaking slogans adorn metro stations, while television channels hammer a triumphant speech.

However, hope dies last. Anastasia, from Kaliningrad, who came to Moscow for administrative procedures, wants to believe in the best. She confides her exhaustion in the face of the current situation: “I can no longer bury my friends who. left to fight in Ukraine. Her husband, she sent him to Egypt to protect him from mobilization. “They take everyone,” she said, the empty look.

Since “i can no longer bury the start of the conflict. more than 500,000 men have been mobilized, according to Western estimates, a large part of which is without real training. Russian social networks rustle with wives and mothers’ videos demanding the return of their loved ones.

A few hours before the deadline set by the United States, peace still seems distant. But in the heavy air of Moscow, there remains a fragile expectation, as suspended. Perhaps, simply, a collective desire that it stops.