As the 100th day of Donald Trump’s second term as US president approaches, residents of Vereya, a small town 100 kilometres southwest of Moscow, express hope for prospects of a settlement to end the conflict with Ukraine. “Finally, there is hope that perhaps this entire conflict might come to an end,” says Efim Semenikhin, who works at a cemetery. However, three months in to Trump's term and despite a brief Easter truce announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the prospect of a ceasefire is as uncertain as ever. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES