Nate Vance, cousin of the American Vice President JD Vance, attacked the Ukraine policy of the US government in sharp 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: you let Ukraine land and play Russia.
The 47-year-old Nate Vance fought against Russian troops for three years as a volunteer at the front in Ukraine. He joined other volunteers in LWIW in 2022 and became a member of the Ukrainian elite unit “Da Vinci Wolves”. In the following years he was involved in heavy battles in Kupjansk, Bachmut, Pokrowsk and Awdijiwka.
US government on historical course
In an interview with the French newspaper “Le Figaro”, he now expressed surprising criticism of his cousin JD Vance, who works closely with Donald Trump as a vice president. The background is the controversial dispute between Trump, Vance and the Ukrainian President Wolodyymyr Senskyj in the Oval Office.
There, JD Vance accused the Ukrainian state of state of not sufficient for the earlier American military aid. Shortly thereafter, the US government exposed all arms supply to Ukraine, who met internationally sharp criticism.
Vice President about information at Diving Station
“What they did Senskyj was an absolutely malignant ambush,” said Nate Vance in an interview. He emphasized that he could first have given his cousin information about the situation on the front, but he never searched for a conversation with him. “I tried to contact JD Vance several times, but he never reported,” said Vance.
According to “Le Figaro”, Nate Vance and JD Vance, as grandchildren of the same grandparents, were again closely connected. Together they spent vacation and maintained contact. But while Nate Vance risked his life in Ukraine to defend the country against Russian attacks, his cousin now defends a policy that puts Ukraine under pressure to enter into a negotiation solution with Russia.
Vance, “wanted to be part of the story”
Nate Vance served for four years in the US Marine Corps between the ages of 18 and 22 and then worked in the oil industry in Texas. After the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, he decided to travel to the war zone. “I wanted to help. I realized that history is written before my eyes and wanted to be part of it,” he said.
In January 2025 he returned to the US because it had become too dangerous to stay in Ukraine. His family bond in particular the vice -president could have made him a target. “Staying was too complicated. I could not be captured, Vance said.
Opinion not only divided into the Vance family
According to “Le Figaro”, Nate Vance is planning to publish his experiences in a book. The profound gap between him and his cousin reflects a fundamental distribution within American politics: while some are committed to further support of Ukraine, Trump and Vance argue a diplomatic solution under Russian conditions.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
