Quote:"I have received updates from Rustem
Umierov throughout the day.
[Umierov is the secretary of the National
Security and Defense Council and head of Ukraine's negotiation
delegation – ed.]
We are in constant contact with the American side and expect
clarity on further meetings.
Ukraine is willing to engage in all working
formats.
What matters is achieving results and holding the meetings.
We
are counting on talks next week and are preparing accordingly."
Details:In his address, Zelenskyy made no
mention of a new round of talks on a potential peace deal, which is
expected to begin on 1 February.
Background:
A new round of talks on a potential peace deal between Russia
and Ukraine is expected to begin on 1 February.
US State Secretary Marco
Rubio has said that US Special Representative Steve Witkoff and Trump's
son-in-law Jared Kushnerwill not be attending,but there "might be" a US presence.
US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoffdescribedmeetings
in the United States with Kirill Dmitriev, Russian leader Vladimir
Putin's special envoy, as "productive and constructive".
Stabilization and Restoration of Services for the Population Are Now
Ongoing –Address by the President
31 January 2026 - 20:16
Over the course of the day, we largely
restored the pre-incident situation, and stabilization and restoration
of services for the population are now ongoing.
Many reports were delivered today by
Rustem Umerov – he is constantly in touch with the American side.
Ukraine is ready for meetings, for all formats of effective work. These
meetings must be substantive, exactly as our teams have agreed and are
working, so that everything that has been developed is really
implemented for a dignified and lasting peace.
And Russia must recognize
that peace is necessary.
Thank You, America, for the Efforts to Halt Strikes on Energy.
Ukraine is ready for meetings, Ukraine is
ready for decisions, and we expect our partners to be able to act as
effectively as possible – in Europe, in the United States, everywhere.
The White House reiterated the president’s desire to have an iconic monument.
The
arch will become “one of the most iconic landmarks not only in
Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” spokesman Davis Ingle said
in a statement sent to The Washington Post after this article’s
publication. “President Trump’s bold vision will be imprinted upon the
fabric of America and be felt by generations to come.”
Trump wants to build a 250-foot-tall arch, dwarfing the Lincoln Memorial
Dan Diamond, Hannah Dormido and Tim Meko
The Washington Post
Jan. 31, 2026, 4:14 p.m. ET
The
White House stands about 70 feet tall. The Lincoln Memorial, roughly
100 feet. The triumphal arch President Donald Trump wants to build would
eclipse both if he gets his wish.
Trump has
grown attached to the idea of a 250-foot-tall structure overlooking the
Potomac River, according to two people who spoke on the condition of
anonymity to describe his comments, a scale that has alarmed some
architectural experts who initially supported the idea of an arch but
expected a far smaller one.
The planned
Independence Arch is intended to commemorate the United States’ 250th
anniversary. Built to Trump’s specifications, it would transform a small
plot of land between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National
Cemetery into a dominant new monument, reshaping the relationship
between the two memorials and obstructing pedestrians’ views.
Trump
has considered smaller versions of the arch, including 165-foot-high
and 123-foot-high designs he shared at a dinner last year. But he has
favored the largest option, arguing that its sheer size would impress
visitors to Washington, and that “250 for 250” makes the most sense, the
people said.
Architectural experts counter
that the size of the monument - installed in the center of a traffic
circle - would distort the intent of the surrounding memorials.
“I
don’t think an arch that large belongs there,” said Catesby Leigh, an
art critic who conceived of a more modest, temporary arch in a 2024
essay - an idea that his allies championed and brought to the White
House.
His allies also passed along Leigh’s recommendation of an
architect, Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, who has been retained by the White
House to work on the project.. ."
