Vice President JD Vance has responded to recent criticism from his cousin, Nate Vance, who publicly condemned his stance on Ukraine and his handling of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nate Vance appeared on CNN on Monday, sharing childhood photos of himself with JD Vance before criticizing the vice president’s approach to the Ukraine war.
In a separate interview with Le Figaro, he accused JD Vance and former President Donald Trump of trying to appease Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Donald Trump and my cousin clearly believe they can placate Vladimir Putin. They are wrong,” Nate Vance stated. “The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin’s useful idiots.”
Both Nate and JD Vance come from a military family, as their fathers—brothers—served in the U.S. Marines.
JD Vance Disputes Cousin’s Claims
In response, Vice President Vance maintained a respectful tone but refuted some of Nate’s claims, particularly regarding his attempts to contact him.
“I always considered Nate the toughest guy I knew, and no matter what he says about me, my affection for him remains. I’m always happy to talk to him,” JD Vance said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
However, he questioned why Nate chose to reach out through his former Senate office rather than contacting family members.
“I am unsure why Nate felt the need to reach out to my Senate office rather than to his mom, dad, or sister, all of whom I am in contact with regularly,” he added.
The vice president also revealed that he deliberately refrained from speaking publicly about his cousin’s service in Ukraine to avoid putting him at greater risk.
“I love my cousin Nate, and never spoke publicly about his service in Ukraine because I didn’t want to endanger his life more than it already was,” JD Vance explained.
Nate Vance’s Warnings on Russia
On CNN, Nate Vance did not hold back in his warnings about Russia, stating that Trump and JD Vance underestimate the Kremlin’s intentions.
“They will not hesitate to eat an American president or an American vice president. They don’t care what we think,” he warned. “They’re not our allies, and they never will be, at least not for a generation.”
This isn’t the first time Nate Vance has spoken out against his cousin. In January, during an interview on The Real Jim Morris Show, he reflected on his time in Ukraine and his decision to fight alongside Ukrainian forces.
“Looking back on it, I’m an idiot, right? My plan was pretty much ‘f**k it,’ I’ll figure it out when I get there,” he admitted.
He also acknowledged that adventure played a role in his decision to go to Ukraine.
“Anybody who says that adventure is not part of it is kind of lying. You’re not being completely honest,” he said.
However, he ultimately returned to the U.S., recognizing the potential security risks his presence in Ukraine posed for JD Vance.
“If something did happen to me, now the vice president is like ‘one of my g***damn relatives is a captive, right?’ So it hamstrings his ability,” Nate explained.
Writing a Book on Ukraine
While Nate Vance has been critical of his cousin, he did confirm that JD’s portrayal of his upbringing in Hillbilly Elegy was accurate.
“His childhood was worse than the book made it sound,” he admitted. “If you’re going to ask me for an honest opinion, if there’s any dishonesty, it’s in making it seem better than it was.”
Currently, Nate is working on a book about his experiences in Ukraine and the ongoing war with Russia. He is finalizing the manuscript and actively searching for a literary agent and publisher.
“I’m like 99 percent done … I got about 85,000 words written,” he said. “The difficult part about finishing it is that I’m kind of living the last chapter.”
Despite the public dispute, JD Vance has made it clear that his personal connection to Nate remains strong. However, their differing views on the war in Ukraine and U.S. foreign policy highlight a deep divide between them.
