After three years of war in Ukraine, many Russians take refuge in an 'inner black box'

You should have never started it. You could have made a deal,

he fatuously griped

Our community is also divided. Some say: ‘Don’t believe it, nothing will come of this. It’s all a circus — Trump doesn’t make the real decisions, the deep state does’,

said a current Russian diplomat

The thaw is good. Tensions with Europe and Ukraine are bad. We need to negotiate with everyone,

said a former Kremlin official

Trump is a talented performer and a master strategist. He’s luring us into a long-planned script designed to daze, then weaken and subdue Russia. The intrigues of the U.S., NATO and the EU are part of a coordinated policy. We mustn’t trust them — we must continue pursuing our own interests,

warned another Russian diplomat

In my circle, people have mostly swallowed this [believed in real reconciliation]. Everyone is tired of war. They think Putin has won. Trump benefits too — he’s a businessman, he makes deals. Europe hasn’t adapted. Blah blah blah,

said a senior executive at a major state-linked corporation

Some of my acquaintances are already quietly dusting off their Visas and Mastercards, hoping that sanctions will be lifted and new opportunities will arise,

said a former high-ranking Russian official in the banking sector

[Rapprochement with the U.S.] is an illusion! The only thing worse than an Anglo-Saxon enemy is an Anglo-Saxon friend,

said a former senior government official now working at a state corporation