Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington D.C. on Thursday facing one of his biggest battles yet to convince skeptical House Republicans to keep approving U.S. aid.

The leader will hold talks on Capitol Hill and with President Joe Biden after Poland’s shock announcement that they would be axing their supply of weapons and as Russia rains down one of its most brutal missile campaigns in weeks.

Congress has already authorized more than $110 billion to Kyiv since Vladimir Putin‘s invasion, and some members of the GOP have warned the White House they will oppose Biden’s request to send another $24 billion.

The pressure is on the Ukrainian president, who will start his day on Capitol Hill where he met with House leaders and then with senators in the Old Senate Chamber, a rare privilege for world leaders. 

The entire Senate was there to greet him. 

He faced a cooler reception across the Capitol on the House side. 

Before his visit, Zelensky asked to deliver another joint address to Congress, as he did last December, Punchbowl News reported, but Speaker Kevin McCarthy denied the request.

‘Zelensky asked us for a Joint Session and we just didn’t have time,’ McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday  morning. 

Zelensky met the speaker, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and other committee chairs and ranking members on the first floor of the Capitol. 

McCarthy, notably, didn’t come out to greet the Ukrainian leaders. Jeffries met Zelensky at the Capitol entrance and walked him to the meeting site. 

After the meeting, McCarthy said he remains non committal about the $24 billion aid package but said Zelensky answered many of lawmakers’ questions on the status of the war. 

Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul said Zelensky told lawmakers ‘he´s winning’ the war.

He said Zelensky told them he needs air cover and long-range artillery for his soldiers.  

Zelensky is making his plea for support as Ukraine’s neighbor, Poland, announced it will no longer provide weapons to Kyiv. 

‘We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine, because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons,’ Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

Tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv, sparked by Poland’s ban on Ukrainian grain imports to protect the interests of its farmers, have intensified in recent days. 

Poland was one Ukraine’s earliest and staunchest allies after Russia invaded. It has taken in over a million refugees and been Kyiv’s biggest supplier of weapons.

In the US, Zelensky’s focus is on House Republicans, who have made clear they oppose more funding for the Ukraine. 

McCarthy’s stop-gap resolution to keep the government running while lawmakers negotiate a full budget deal lacks any funding for Kyiv. 

And now 29 GOP lawmakers wrote to the Biden’s budget chief to express their concerns about how much has already been given to the Ukraine – $100 billion – and to complain the Biden administration  supports an ‘open-ended commitment’ to the country.

They argue Americans need more information on the war effort.

‘How is the counteroffensive going? Are the Ukrainians any closer to victory than they were 6 months ago? What is our strategy, and what is the president’s exit plan?’ they write.  

McCarthy has made similar comments.

‘Was Zelensky elected to Congress? Is he our president? I don’t think so. I have questions for where’s the accountability on the money we’ve already spent? What is this the plan for victory?’ he said to reporters on Capitol Hill earlier this week.

But Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell does support funding Ukraine’s war effort although some conservatives in the upper chamber think the U.S. has done enough to help Kyiv.

McConnell, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, escorted Zelensky into his meeting with senators.  

The Biden administration continues to push for more funding. Zelensky will cap off his visit to Washington with a meeting in the Oval Office. 

Zelensky’s visit comes at a ‘critical time, as Russia is reaching out’ to countries like North Korea and Iran, White House spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday. 

Biden can get a ‘battlefield perspective,’ when he meets with Zelensky in the Oval Office, Kirby noted.

While Zelensky was out of the country, Russia upped its aerial campaign, damaging energy facilities and causing power outages in several region.

Moscow targeted Lviv in the west, near the border with Poland, and Kharkiv, close to Ukraine’s eastern front lines, as well as Kyiv, Cherkasy and Rivne. 

Zelensky arrives in Washington after addressing the UN General Assembly as part of the body’s annual meeting.

He also addressed the U.N. Security Council, where he got tough, accusing it of inaction on Russia’s invasion of his country.

‘Most of the world recognizes the truth about this war,’ Zelensky said.

‘We should recognize that the U.N. finds itself in a deadlock on the matters of aggression,’ he noted.

President Joe Biden touched down in Kahului on the island of Maui Monday where he greeted local politicians with hugs, handshakes and condolences in light of the island’s devastating wildfires. 

He and First Lady Jill paused their summer vacation at Lake Tahoe in Nevada on Monday to visit Hawaii.

The president appeared more somber in tone than when he told a reporter he had ‘no comment’ on the inferno’s devastation while relaxing at his Delaware beach house last Sunday.

Biden was met with some protests from local residents who held signs with messages like ‘he’s too late,’ ‘he should’ve been here much earlier,’ and ‘actions speak louder than words.’ 

The death toll in Maui has topped 114 – already making the inferno one of the nation’s deadliest in history – and an estimated 1,000 people are still unaccounted for. Officials are still analyzing the factors that contributed to the massive inferno, including problems with its electrical grid.

Biden will visit with those who lost homes and loved ones during the disaster and be briefed by public officials. The White house said he has continued to receive briefings over the weekend, after Biden issued a series of public statements on the disaster following his early stumbles.

The president left behind a more tranquil setting – he is renting the home of billionaire former presidential candidate and climate activist Tom Steyer on the eastern side of Lake Tahoe.

He has been accompanied on that vacation by his son Hunter, who has been dealing with the collapse of his plea deal on tax charges, and whose probe is now being overseen by U.S. attorney David Weiss in the role of special prosecutor. 

After taking criticism for his ‘no comment’ while at the beach, Biden has been making repeated references to the tragedy. 

He spoke at Camp David about financial contributions by Japan and South Korea announced at the summit, then boarded Marine One to make his way to Nevada.

‘I want to start by expressing my appreciation for the contribution that your countries have made for relief following the devastating wildfires in Hawaii. I want to thank you both on behalf of the American people,’ he said. Biden also said FEMA was preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary in Southern California.

On Thursday he promised to offer assistance to Maui for ‘as long as it takes’  during a recorded message that aired on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America.’

‘The entire nation is with you as you recover, rebuild and grieve,’ he said. 

The wildfire that broke out August 8 in the town of Lahaina is now the deadliest in more than a century, and the fifth-deadliest on record for the U.S. 

‘We’ll be with you for as long as it takes, I promise you,’ the president added. He noted the federal government has already taken action to send hundreds of emergency personnel and thousands of meals and supplies to the historic tourist town ravaged by flames. 

Before Biden announced his visit, Republicans compared his lack of a visit to East Palestine, Ohio – where a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals, displacing 100s. Biden had promised to visit the Ohio town but never did. 

Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans tore into him. Trump said he was refusing ‘to help or comment on the tragedy’ and called the moment ‘horrible and unacceptable.’

Biden first issued his ‘no comment’ while while staying at the beach near his Delaware home.

Then while breezing by reporters he made a terse comment, saying he was ‘looking at it.’ 

Back at the White House, a reporter asked Biden at the White House: ‘Can you tell us about your Hawaii trip?’ 

‘No, not now,’ Biden said, before staff eventually announced details.

It call came during a time when Biden might have preferred some distance form the press, following the appointment of the special counsel for his son. 

Biden and the first lady are traveling to Maui on Monday to comfort survivors of the devastating wildfires that ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island earlier this month, as his administration responds to the devastation whose full scope is still unknown.

The Bidens are taking a detour from their weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the day trip to Lahaina, a historic town of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. While there, the first couple will meet with first responders and be briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response.

They will also view the damaged town, both from helicopters and on the ground, and the Democratic president will deliver remarks paying tribute to the victims of the wildfires, which have killed more than 100 people since they began on Aug. 8.

The president will also tap Bob Fenton, a regional leader at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, where just about every building was obliterated.

‘I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life,’ Biden said in a statement ahead of the trip. ‘I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions.’

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said that as of Sunday about 85% of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink.

While immediate aid such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said that cellphones, identification and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process.

More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground in Hawaii to respond to the wildfires, according to the White House. The administration has doled out more than $8 million in aid to affected families.

Schatz, who will be with Biden as the president travels to his home state on Monday, stressed that officials were ‘still responding to the disaster’ and ‘We are not yet in a recovery phase.’

‘As bad as this looks, it´s actually worse,’ he said in a phone interview on Sunday. ‘What you can´t see is the damage to utility infrastructure. What you can´t see is the thousands of kids who are trying to figure out how to go to school this fall. What you can´t see is the first responders who went into the flames without regard for their own safety and had their own homes burned down.’

While vacationing in Lake Tahoe, Biden has been on the phone regularly with officials to get briefed on updates to the wildfire response, the White House said.

Graham Linehan arrives to defiantly perform outside the Scottish Parliament after outrage at two Edinburgh festival venues that cancelled him for his gender critical views

By Oliver Price

Published: 14:50 EDT, 17 August 2023 | Updated: 15:11 EDT, 17 August 2023

By Shania Obrien For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 06:53 EDT, 9 August 2023 | Updated: 17:29 EDT, 9 August 2023

Sofia Vergara dazzled in a sparkly ensemble when she arrived at Taylor Swift‘s barnstorming Los Angeles concert Friday.

Taylor was on night two of her sold-out six-show engagement at the massive SoFi Stadium, which seats over 70,000.

Although she herself is world-famous for her turn on Modern Family, Sofia was part of the throng Friday night, ready to lap up the latest show of Taylor’s Eras Tour.

The 51-year-old sitcom star, who is in the midst of her divorce from Joe Manganiello, was joined by one of her gal pals for her latest night outing.

She was spotted at the concert venue arm in arm with ‘Eyebrow Queen’ Anastasia Soare, who founded the iconic salon Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Anastasia Beverly Hills is a particular favorite of celebrities, who turned out in force this January to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Sofia was part of that party’s guest list, amid a claque of boldface names including Jennifer Aniston, Sharon Stone, Heidi Klum and Priyanka Chopra.

This Friday night, Anastasia and Sofia were together again, even wearing complementary outfits done in black and silver.

Sofia brought back the 1970s in a dark, flared jumpsuit streaked with silver pinstripes that gleamed under the lights as she headed into the stadium.

Her latest sighting comes two nights after her last luxurious night out on the town – an evening with friends at SoHo House.

The sitcom queen – who has agreed to handover custody of their beloved dog — was spotted arriving at the West Hollywood location on Wednesday.

She hopped out of her black luxury car in a stylish outfit that included a pair of tall black heels, high-waisted denim jeans and a busty black bodysuit that also showed off her sculpted arms.

Her honey-toned hair looked freshly blown out and a white woven Birkin bag was slung across her svelte frame.

The Colombian beauty showed up to the members-only club solo.

Earlier this week, Vergara asked the judge overseeing her divorce from Manganiello to stick to the terms of a prenuptial agreement they signed.

She made the request in a new filing, while also requesting that she be able to retain her current assets, according to documents obtained by People.

The latest legal development for her and her 46-year-old estranged husband comes after claims that one of the biggest stumbling blocks for the couple was the True Blood star’s desire to have children.

Manganiello had previously cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ when he filed for divorce two days after the couple announced their split, and Vergara responded with the same reason for the separation in her filing from July 26.

In addition to requesting the court follow the terms of their prenuptial agreement, she also asked that she be allowed to keep her jewelry, artwork and ‘other personal effects,’ which she considered assets.

She has also said that she should be able to retain all of her earnings from before she tied the knot with Manganiello, as well as any income from while they were married.

While the couple’s money and possessions should be easy enough to divide, especially if Manganiello opts not to challenge the prenup, it’s less clear what will happen with one of their most beloved — and furry — assets: their Chihuahua–Pomeranian mix, Bubbles.

‘They still have a few issues to figure out, like custody of their dog, Bubbles,’ an insider told Us Weekly late last week. ‘But Sofia hopes they can move forward in a calm, fair fashion.’

Under California law, pets were previously treated similarly to property, so the partner who originally adopted the animal would likely get precedence when it came to dividing their assets.

However, a law passed in the state in 2019 gives judges more discretion to determine which party will get pets or how the exes will share the animals.

That might increase the odds of Joe spending more time with Bubbles, even though Sofía was the one who apparently bought the dog.

In a 2021 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Colombian-born actress joked that the tiny pooch instantly preferred spending time with the Magic Mike actor after she brought it home.

‘I don’t have a dog. It’s not mine, it’s Joe’s dog,’ she said, even though she originally purchased Bubbles as her own pet.

After the comedian showed her audience a cute photo of Bubbles, Sofía chimed in and called the dog an ‘idiot.’

‘It doesn’t even look like a Chihuahua, it looks like some sort of teddy bear,’ she said in a comically dismissive tone. ‘The dog was for me, I got the dog, but she arrived and completely ignored me. Went straight to Joe. She has taken everything that was mine.’

Even though she had the audience in stitches, the actress added, ‘It’s not funny — it’s horrible, she’s taken my husband, my bed.’

However, she added that it wasn’t Joe’s fault, as it was Bubbles who was ‘obsessed’ with him.

He has often appeared on his and her Instagram pages, and in public, with Bubbles in his arms, and when Manganiello made a brief appearance via video chat in Magic Mike’s Last Dance earlier this year, his character held Bubbles on camera.

Fans began to suspect that something was wrong with Sofía and Joe’s relationship after she was seen celebrating her birthday in Italy alone, and a birthday message that Joe shared on Instagram added to concerns due to its supposedly ‘cold’ tone.

The exes were introduced by Sofía’s Modern Family costar Jesse Tyler Ferguson at the 2014 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

At the time, she was still engaged to the businessman Nick Loeb, but after they split a few weeks later, Joe enquired about her number.

The two were engaged within the year, and they tied the knot in 2015. 

Could Inter Miami’s MLS season be over BEFORE Lionel Messi arrives? Awful 4-1 defeat to Philadelphia Union leaves team a massive 11 points adrift of the playoffs ALREADY

By Jack Bezants For Dailymail.Com

Published: 21:37 EDT, 24 June 2023 | Updated: 21:42 EDT, 24 June 2023

Ben Wallace arrives in Kyiv for talks with Ukraine counterpart as Ministry of Defence says more than 1,000 Russian troops have gone AWOL already this year with Vladimir Putin struggling to enforce discipline

• Defence Secretary meets with Oleksii Reznikov in an unannounced visit to Kyiv

By Greg Heffer, Political Correspondent For Mailonline

Published: 06:01 EDT, 24 May 2023 | Updated: 19:54 EDT, 24 May 2023

Vladimir Putin has addressed his country’s Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square, claiming that Russia wants peace while accusing the ‘western elite’ of waging a ‘real war’ against his forces in Ukraine.

Cheers rang out across Red Square, with a gun salute and the Russian national anthem, though with a much slimmed down show of military hardware – and no aviation. Only one tank took part – a Second World War-era T-34 – as his forces continue to take heavy losses across the border hundreds of miles to the west.

His speech, watched by scores of uniformed soldiers, military officials and leaders of former Soviet nations, came just hours after another barrage of cruise missiles hit several sites across Ukraine.

‘Today civilisation is once again at a decisive turning point. A real war has been unleashed against our Motherland,’ he said in a reference to his ongoing invasion that the Kremlin portrays as being a proxy conflict with the West.

With snipers watching the crowd closely, he welcomed soldiers fighting in Ukraine who were present at the parade, and framed his on-going illegal invasion as being akin to the Soviet fight against Nazi Germany in the Second World War, which came to an end 78 years ago – a false narrative that has nevertheless resonated at home.

‘To Russia! To our brave armed forces! To Victory!’ Putin concluded the speech.

In a major coup for the Kremlin, at least six post-Soviet leaders including the prime minister of Armenia and the president of Kazakhstan travelled to attend the military parade that fetes the Soviet victory in 1945.

Pictures from Moscow showed Putin arriving and shaking hands with military officials, before delivering his speech. Hundreds of uniformed soldiers then began their parade, marching through Moscow’s famous square.

Dozens of military vehicles – including armoured personnel carriers, trucks and intercontinental ballistic missile launchers – also rolled through the city. Observers noted, however, that few Russian tanks were on display. The only model that appeared in the parade was the T-34, which was used in the Second World War.

As such, the parade looked more modest than usual: There were no military aircraft flying over Red Square, and fewer pieces of military equipment were displayed. For the first time in years, the parade ended in under an hour. 

The pared-down celebrations come after ambiguous official reports last week that two Ukrainian drones flew into the heart of Moscow under the cover of darkness and reached the Kremlin before being shot down. The Kremlin billed it as an attempt at Putin’s life; Ukraine denied involvement. 

Only some 8,000 troops marched in Red Square this year – the lowest number since 2008. Even the parade in 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, featured some 13,000 soldiers, and last year, 11,000 troops took part. 

Russia also enacted a major security clampdown for the commemorations. Authorities curbed the use of drones and ride-sharing services in Moscow and even jet skis on the canals of St. Petersburg. 

State television showed Putin stood next to World War II veterans as he delivered his 10-minute speech, in which he repeated familiar messages he has delivered many times in the nearly 15 months of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

‘We have repulsed international terrorism, we will protect the inhabitants of Donbas, we will ensure our security,’ he said, despite Ukraine shaping up for another counteroffensive having pushed Russia back east last year.

To troops fighting in Ukraine, some of whom were at the Parade, he said: ‘There is nothing more important now than your combat effort. The security of the country rests on you today, the future of our statehood and our people depend on you.’ 

Putin insisted that the West’s ‘untamed ambitions, arrogance and impunity’ are to blame for the conflict. He claimed ‘Western globalist elites’ were sowing Russophobia and aggressive nationalism, while the Ukrainian people had become ‘hostages to a state coup’ and to the ambitions of the West.

Despite ordering his troops across the border in February last year and repeatedly attacking civilian centres in Ukraine, Putin claimed he wants peace.

‘We want to see our future peaceful and stable. We believe that any ideology of supremacy is not acceptable to us. However, the western elite and globalists are insisting on their exceptional character,’ he said.

‘They [Western countries] are destroying traditional family values that make a person a person, and they are dictating their will to others. Their rule to others. In essence, this is a system of robbing others, and a system of violence,’ he added.

In a re-writing of history – incorrectly framing the Soviet Union as the nation fully responsible for the defeat of Nazi Germany – he said of the West: ‘They have forgotten who destroyed that evil, who defended their motherlands, who liberated the people of Europe. We see that in a number of countries.’

Despite this, Putin said the memory of World War Two was sacred and paid tribute to those who fought against Nazis, including the armies of the United States and Britain, and also to China’s fight against the Japanese.

Since coming to power in 2000, Putin has promoted a patriotic cult around the 1945 Soviet victory over the Nazis, used to stoke patriotism and boost his standing as the heir of Soviet power. 

The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War Two, including many millions in Ukraine, but eventually pushed Nazi forces back to Berlin, where Hitler committed suicide and the red Soviet Victory Banner was raised over the Reichstag in 1945 – two months before the Western Allied troops entered the German capital.

Along with the 1812 defeat of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, the crushing of Nazi Germany is Russia’s most revered military triumph, though both catastrophic invasions from the west left Russia deeply sensitive about its Western borders. It claims its invasion of Ukraine is in part to protect these.

Kremlin officials specifically cite the expansion of NATO, which recently welcoming Finland into the alliance. European nations point to Russia’s aggression as the reason why countries want to join. 

Putin did not address the challenges facing Russia as its forces prepare for the expected major counter-offensive by Ukraine, or outline any path to victory, as he continues to take heavy losses.

Putin claims his so-called ‘special military operation’ is an effort to bring about the ‘denazification’ of a belligerent imperial power backed by the west, a narrative that has been refuted by Kyiv and its allies – who say the invasion is an imperialistic land grab by Russia with the goal of eradicating a sovereign nation.

Putin and other Kremlin officials had hoped to have captured Kyiv and overthrown its government ahead of last year’s Victory Day parade. But Ukraine’s defences repelled the Russian assault on the capital in the first month, forcing Russian into an embarrassing retreat in a massive blow to Putin.

One year on, and after 14 months of fighting in Ukraine, Russia still has little to show for its military campaign.

Putin’s troops have failed to take control of the eastern town of Bakhmut, his military leadership is riven by conflict and Kyiv is again preparing to go on the offensive. 

What’s more, in the run-up to the sabre-rattling festivities, Russia has witnessed numerous incidents, including explosions derailing trains, fires, a drone attack on the Kremlin and a bombing attack that wounded a fiercely pro-Kremlin writer, Zakhar Prilepin.

For the first time since the Second World War, a sense of vulnerability has been felt in Moscow. 

Meanwhile, more than two dozen cities and towns – near the Ukraine border, but also in more distant Russian regions – have cancelled plans to stage their own military parades over security concerns.

Russian media have counted 24 Russian cities that cancelled May 9 military parades – the staple of celebrations across Russia – for the first time in years. 

The Immortal Regiment processions, in which crowds take to the streets holding portraits of relatives who died or served in World War II – another pillar of the holiday – have also been canceled in multiple cities.

Regional officials blamed unspecified ‘security concerns.’ Some speculated, however, that the reason behind cancelling Immortal Regiment marches was the fact that Russians might bring portraits of relatives who died in Ukraine to those processions, illustrating the scale of Russia’s losses in the drawn-out conflict. 

Moscow sought to project a show of force during its flagship parade on Red Square, with top-notch military equipment rumbling through it and leaders of ex-Soviet nations standing beside President Vladimir Putin. 

Ahead of the parade, Political analyst Arkady Dubnov said that ‘for the first time in many years’ Putin will be surrounded at a Victory Day parade by a number of post-Soviet leaders.

‘Despite the serious weakening of its global positions after February 24, 2022, Russia remains to a certain extent the metropolis of a former empire whose actions have to be taken into account,’ Dubnov said.

The leaders of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia and Putin’s closest ally – Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko – are all in attendance.

Tuesday also saw Russia unleash a barrage of cruise missiles on Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, hours before the start of the parade.

The Kremlin’s forces launched 25 missiles overnight in a wave of attacks across Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force said, adding that air defence had successfully destroyed 23 of them.

In a Telegram post, the air force said eight Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from carriers in the Black Sea toward the east and 17 from strategic aircraft.

‘As at the front, the plans of the aggressor failed,’ Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv’s city military administration, said in comments posted on the Telegram messaging app.

Tuesday’s attacks – the fifth in May – came a day after Russia launched its biggest drone swarm yet in a renewed air campaign unleashed 10 days ago after a lull since early March.

‘(They) try to kill as many civilians as possible – on this day,’ Popko said.

He said that according to preliminary information there were no casualties in the attack that was carried out with cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea region.

Falling debris fell on a house in the Holosiivskyi district in the southwest of Kyiv, Kyiv’s Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on his Telegram messaging channel, adding there were no casualties or much damage.

In the often-targeted Shevchenkivskyi district of central Kyiv debris was found on a road.

‘Kyiv stood up again and will stand up in the future!’ Popko said.

Ahead of the parade, Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the mercenary group Wagner, issued a series of blistering, profanity-laced videos, blaming Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov for withholding ammunition amid talk of infighting and rivalries.

His statement appeared to row back from comments hours earlier that initial data showed they had begun to get it. 

But Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose forces have spent months trying to capture the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut, added that he did not want to ‘spoil’ Russia’s big Victory Day parade set for 0700 GMT, and would reveal more details afterwards.

‘The people who were supposed to fulfil the (shipment) orders have so far, over the past day, not fulfilled them,’ Prigozhin said in a video post on the messaging app Telegram.

The Institute for the Study of War has pointed to ‘chain of command problems’ for the Russian army in Ukraine that cast doubt on Moscow’s ability to ‘coordinate a coherent theatre-wide defensive campaign’.

Russia and other ex-soviet states celebrate Victory Day on May 9, while most other European countries mark the date on May 8, due to the time difference when Nazi Germany signed to surrender in 1945.

Western nations that celebrate Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) do so to mark the end of all combat actions in the Second World War, which was officially specified as 23:01 Central European Time, which was already May 9 in Eastern Europe.

By contrast, Ukraine commemorated the end of World War II together with Europe on Monday, with President Volodymyr Zelensky vowing that Russian forces would be defeated just as Nazi Germany was beaten in 1945.

The Ukrainian leader said the Kremlin was responsible for ‘aggression and annexation, occupation and deportation’, as well as ‘mass murder and torture’. 

Zelensky said he had submitted a bill to parliament to formally commemorate World War II in Ukraine on May 8. For years the anniversary was marked on May 9, as it was in Russia and other ex-Soviet countries.

Ukraine will also mark a separate Europe Day on May 9, which promotes peace and unity on the continent, he said.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday to mark the celebration of peace and unity, in a symbolic retort to Moscow’s Victory Day parade.

The president of the European Commission travelled on an overnight train from Poland to see President Volodymyr Zelensky and work on Ukraine’s quest for eventual EU membership, a reporter on the train said.

Prince Harry wore an awkward smile today as he was forced to watch the Coronation of King Charles III from his relegated seat in the third row – while his brother Prince William took centre stage alongside a radiant Kate Middleton. 

The Duke of Sussex, 38, seemed keen to put on a jovial display at Westminster Abbey amid ongoing speculation of the Royal Family’s inner turmoil following the release of his bombshell memoir Spare.

Wearing medals pinned to his suit jacket, he had been seen laughing and smiling as he entered the royal church alongside Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and their respective husbands Jack Brooksbank and Edo Mapelli Mozzi.

He awkwardly nodded at other guests as he endured a solo walk down the aisle to take his seat next to his cousins ahead of the arrival of his father and soon-to-be Queen Camilla. 

Harry had not been seen for over 24 hours after his arrival and accommodation plans remained shrouded in secrecy – before it emerged he had flown into the UK on a commercial American Airlines flight on Friday morning. 

It comes after it was reported today that the King’s youngest son, who was expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage overnight, is invited to lunch at Buckingham Palace today following the historic service. 

It is not yet known, however, if the Duke will accept, given that he is expected to rush back to California to reunite with his wife Meghan Markle to celebrate their son Archie’s fourth birthday. 

The invitation will be seen by many as an olive branch from Charles after Harry’s explosive memoir Spare left several members of the Royal Family reeling – most notably his brother Prince William.

A Sky News narrator said: ‘The Palace have told us that Prince Harry has been invited back to Buckingham Palace this afternoon. 

‘They would not say whether he has said yes or not, we know it’s a flying visit.’ Reporter Kay Burley later said the invitation was to ‘lunch.’ 

It comes after it was revealed today that Harry – who is fifth in line to the throne – had been relegated to the third row inside the abbey for the service. 

He is seated between Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank and Princess Alexandra, the cousin of the late Queen who has not worked as a royal for 10 years. They are joined by Prince Andrew’s daughters Eugenie, 33, and Beatrice, 34, and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi. 

A lip reader told MailOnline that Harry told Mr Brooksbank that something was ‘lovely’ after arriving at the abbey. 

Jacquie Presser revealed what she thought the Prince said to Princess Eugenie’s husband during the exchange.

Presser said the conversation appeared light-hearted as they waited for the historic occasion to begin. 

She claimed the Prince smiled at Mr Brooksbank and said ‘That’s funny, mmm interesting’ before they discussed an upcoming event in the day, suggesting it might start at 3:45pm.

Also in the third row, at the other end from Harry, was the Duke of York, who stopped using the title His Royal Highness in an official capacity in January 2022. He wore his Order of the Garter robe.

William and Kate are in the front row at the abbey for the historic ceremony, with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Their youngest child, Prince Louis, who recently turned five, will take his seat after processing through the abbey, but will retire once the ceremony begins.

Only the other senior working royals will have a front row seat, made up of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh – Edward and Sophie – and their children Lady Louise and James the Earl of Wessex, as well as the ever-popular Princess Anne and her husband Tim Laurence. 

A source told the Sun: ‘There were discussions that the seating could be arranged on line of succession. But that would have put fifth-in-line Harry front and centre — and with William and Kate.

‘Instead the decision was working royals only at the front and work back from there. Harry will be a long way from his father.’

Sources previously told the Mail there were ‘no plans’ for Harry to join the Royal Family on the Palace balcony or to even appear in official photos.

It emerged today that the Duke jetted into the UK on a commercial flight on Friday morning, leaving passengers gobsmacked. 

The King’s son arrived from Los Angeles on American Airlines flight AA136, which landed at 11.23am at London Heathrow yesterday.

Sources this week stressed that Harry will be ‘in and out of the UK in 24 hours’. He plans to dash back straight after the two-hour ceremony to be with Meghan Markle for their son Archie’s fourth birthday. 

He was expected to spend a final evening at Frogmore Cottage last night after his father decided to evict him and his American wife just days after the release of his memoir Spare.

As was widely expected, it was confirmed by the Palace this morning that Harry and Andrew will be mere spectators to the historic Coronation Ceremony given that they are no longer working royals. 

The two men will also be absent from the procession behind the Gold State Coach that will carry the newly crowned King and Queen to the Palace after the ceremony.

It means they will miss out, too, on stepping out onto the balcony at the Palace for a traditional photo op following the service.  

All eyes are on Harry as he faces his relatives in public for the first time since he criticised Charles, Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales in his explosive tell-all book. 

Insiders last night said they could not rule out him having an unplanned heart-to-heart with his father after arriving to the UK.

‘Of course you can never say never,’ said one. ‘Anything is possible, especially with him. And His Majesty loves his son despite everything.’ But others felt that this was extremely unlikely.

‘To be honest it seems a bit pointless him being there. His place in the pecking order couldn’t be clearer,’ another source told the Mail.

‘Attending is probably the right thing for him to do in the long run. He can at least say he came and made the effort to be with his father on his big day… But the red carpet is most definitely not being rolled out and, as it stands, he will just be another member of the congregation.’ 

Sources last month suggested that other family members – with the possible exception of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – had no interest in talking with Harry at the Coronation beyond the most basic of greetings. 

It came after the prince publicly called on his family to apologise to himself and Meghan for what they saw as slights against them. 

He also demanded that his father and brother sit down with him before May 6 to thrash their issues out – a meeting which never came to fruition.

Adding fuel to the fire, Harry also indicated he has enough material to fill another book, which is likely to make the royals wary of encountering him.

He is set to make a quick exit after the Coronation, flying back to the US to mark Archie’s birthday, and is expected to attend only the abbey ceremony.

Sources previously said the decision by Meghan to remain in California had come as a relief in some circles, following fears her presence could have heightened family tensions.

It is also understood there was real concern in the Sussex camp about the public reception the couple would have received if they attended the Coronation together.

Friends, including Meghan’s biographer Omid Scobie, suggested her decision was largely due to the Coronation falling on the same day as Archie’s fourth birthday.

The couple had delayed answering their invitation for weeks, causing difficulties for organisers tasked with complex seating plans, transport and security for senior members of the Royal Family, world leaders and other dignitaries.

Sources described the negotiations as a game of ‘transatlantic ping pong’, and Harry was said to have wanted numerous assurances about arrangements.

Coronation organisers admitted that they were stressed about Harry’s plans and said that it was like ‘trying to communicate with Mars’.

Asked in an interview in January whether he would attend the Coronation if invited, Harry said ‘the door is always open’.

It was then reported last month that the duke would be coming to the Coronation alone, leaving Meghan at home with their children Archie and Lilibet.

Buckingham Palace later said it was ‘pleased to confirm’ the Duke of Sussex will be at Westminster Abbey. There had been uncertainty at the Palace over the Sussexes’ attendance.

Sources last month said Charles was very pleased his youngest son is coming and his mood was described as ‘generally quite forgiving’, however, his brother William was understood to still feel betrayed and angry, particularly by the revelations in Harry’s memoirs.

One source told The Telegraph that the ‘gulf’ between the brothers, who were once as close as siblings could be, is now so large they cannot see how their relationship can ever be repaired.

But their father hoped his Coronation could heal some of those wounds, sources said. 

Sussex supporters said Harry understood that the Coronation is the biggest day of his father’s life and felt it was right to be present, despite his attacks on the family. 

But more than one source confirmed to the Mail that there had been ‘extensive discussions’ between London and California over the issue of Harry’s attendanc.

One said: ‘Harry’s side was keen to find out, presumably because they wanted to rubber-stamp it, what the seating plan at the Abbey is. There’s been extensive back and forth about who they [Harry and Meghan] would be sitting behind if they came. And who would be behind them.’

Harry was apparently quite preoccupied by this particular detail, the source said.

Another source added: ‘This is true. There have been a lot of questions on detail for the Abbey.’

Publications with links to the Sussexes have suggested that Harry had a list of questions for the Palace about what would happen if he attended and wanted certain ‘assurances’, but did not detail what they might be.

When Harry and Meghan came to the UK for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee they joined other members of the Royal Family at St Paul’s Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving. But, notably and rather awkwardly, they were seated on the other side of the nave from Charles, Camilla, William and Kate.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been shunted away from the main seats as their rift with the Royal Family has grown.

There had been hopes the Coronation could provide an opportunity for reconciliation – but as of last month, members of the Royal Family were understood not to have an appetite for it.

One source told the Daily Express: ‘The Royal Family are focused on planning for the historic occasion and have no appetite or time at this stage to think about reconciliation.’