Dreams of direct flights to Miami, Los Angeles and New York by July. Hopes that Western brands will soon reopen their stores. Speculation that companies like Visa and Mastercard are on their way back to process payments.
While none of that has yet come to pass, Russians are hoping that a return to normalcy in their country is on the horizon now that Washington and Moscow are moving to reset their relationship after three years of hostility because of the war in Ukraine.
News of the first round of talks between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday sent many Russians into a state of glee, and anticipation, that the hardships of war, and the shunning of Russia by much of the world, may soon end.
On Tuesday, speaking on the main political news show on state television, Yuri Afonin, a Communist lawmaker, said that direct talks between Moscow and Washington were a reward for Russia’s resilience over the past three years.
“Russia has proved that it can hold talks about the future of the world on par with the U.S.,” Mr. Afonin said.
“This is not just about negotiating an end to the conflict,” he added. “It is about a new world order.”
