Russia was built on an empire of lies. That's the biggest hurdle to peace talks

For a brief moment this week, it seemed vaguely possible that Russia might ease its brutal onslaught in parts of Ukraine. After Russian envoys spoke to a Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday, the Russian deputy defense minister announced that Moscow would draw back its forces and "drastically reduce military activity" around the cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv to boost "mutual trust."