With its cobbled market square and gold-domed churches, the Russian town of Vereya bears few scars of the Ukraine offensive announced by President Vladimir Putin three years ago.
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But even here, 600km (370 miles) from the front line and almost two hours drive from central Moscow, residents said an end to the fighting was long overdue.
In Vereya’s cemetery, framed photographs of fallen soldiers lay nestled between flowers, while the flags of Russian military divisions fluttered in the wind.
Many in the town said they hoped US President Donald Trump’s attempt to broker a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv would yield results, even if few had faith he would deliver.
“I would be very interested if Trump and Putin gathered and met together, discussed all the issues, shook hands, and closed this topic,” 48-year-old cemetery worker Efim Semenikhin said.
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“Finally, there is hope that maybe this whole conflict will stop. And this really needs to happen.”