Fought in Ukraine

Cousin accuses Vance of “vicious ambush”

J.D. Vance has had to put up with a lot of criticism, especially after the scandal in the White House - this is now also coming from within his own family, with great publicity.

(Bild: JIM LO SCALZO / POOL)

Nate Vance, cousin of US Vice President J.D. Vance, has attacked the US government's Ukraine policy with harsh words. In an interview, the former volunteer of the Ukrainian elite unit "Da Vinci Wolves" described his cousin and US President Donald Trump as "Putin's useful idiots". The accusation: they are letting Ukraine down and playing into Russia's hands.

47-year-old Nate Vance fought for three years as a volunteer on the front line in Ukraine against Russian troops. He joined other volunteers in Lviv in 2022 and became a member of the Ukrainian elite unit "Da Vinci Wolves". In the years that followed, he was involved in heavy fighting in Kupyansk, Bakhmut, Pokrovsk and Avdiivka.

US government on a course oblivious to history
In an interview with the French newspaper "Le Figaro", he now directed some surprising criticism at his cousin J.D. Vance, who works closely with Donald Trump as Vice President. The background to this is the controversial discussion between Trump, Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Nate Vance has personal experience of the suffering of the population in Ukraine - the cousin of the US Vice President himself fought on the front line.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/AFP/SERGEI SUPINSKY)

There, J.D. Vance accused the Ukrainian head of state of not having thanked him sufficiently for the US military aid he had received so far. Shortly afterwards, the US government suspended all arms deliveries to Ukraine, which met with sharp international criticism.

Vice President on information at the diving station
"What they did to Zelensky was an absolutely vicious ambush," said Nate Vance in the interview. He emphasized that he could have provided his cousin with first-hand information about the situation at the front, but the latter never sought a conversation with him. "I tried to contact J.D. Vance several times, but he never got back to me," said Vance.

According to "Le Figaro", Nate Vance and J.D. Vance were once close family members as grandchildren of the same grandparents. They spent vacations together and kept in touch. But while Nate Vance risked his life in Ukraine to defend the country against Russian attacks, his cousin is now defending a policy that puts pressure on Ukraine to enter into a negotiated settlement with Russia.

Vance, "wanted to be part of history"
Nate Vance served in the US Marine Corps for four years between the ages of 18 and 22 and then worked in the oil industry in Texas. After the war in Ukraine began in 2022, he decided to travel to the war zone. "I wanted to help. I realized that history was being written before my eyes and I wanted to be part of it," he explained.

In January 2025, he returned to the USA as it had become too dangerous to stay in Ukraine. His family connection to the vice president in particular could have made him a target. "Staying became too complicated. I couldn't risk being captured," says Vance.

Opinion not only very divided in the Vance family
According to "Le Figaro", Nate Vance is planning to publish his experiences in a book. The deep divide between him and his cousin reflects a fundamental split within US politics: while some are in favor of continued support for Ukraine, Trump and Vance advocate a diplomatic solution under Russian conditions.