The third round of trilateral peace negotiations in Geneva ended abruptly, with Moscow's lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky appearing visibly defeated after sessions described as "very difficult": a diplomatic euphemism for near-breakdown. Despite these outward signs of failure, state media depicts Vladimir Putin as a leader genuinely engaged in seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, a narrative crafted to appease a domestic audience increasingly eager for the four-year-old conflict to conclude. Most striking is the recent emergence of explicit "post-war" messaging on state television, where talking heads have begun publicly imagining a future for Russia after the lifting of Western sanctions. While these signals hint at a pivot toward peace, the reality on the front lines and the deep chasm between negotiating parties suggest the exit remains out  ...