Nate Vance, the cousin of US Vice President J.D. Vance, volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. He fought as part of the "Da Vinci Wolves" battalion.
Points of attention
- Nate Vance volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and fought in the Da Vinci Wolves battalion during Russia's invasion in 2022.
- He participated in battles for cities in Ukraine, served on the front lines for two and a half years, and left the military shortly before his cousin's inauguration as Vice President.
- Nate expressed disappointment with Vice President J.D. Vance's political stance regarding aid to Ukraine and felt his cousin's actions towards Ukrainian President Zelensky were dishonest.
Vance's cousin was a volunteer in Russia's war against Ukraine
Nate, 47, a native of Texas, was in Ukraine for three years, two and a half of which he spent on the front lines.
The man participated in the battles for Kupyansk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Pokrovsk.
However, he left the Ukrainian military in early January 2025, shortly before his cousin's inauguration as vice president.
When Nate heard his cousin arguing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House on February 28, he became furious.
JD is a good, smart guy. When he criticized the aid to Ukraine, I thought it was because he had to please a certain electorate, that it was a political game. But what they (JD Vance and Donald Trump — ed.) did to Zelensky was an ambush with absolute dishonesty.
The cousin of the US vice president criticizes his position and says he is "disappointed."
I was disappointed. When JD justified his distrust of Zelensky with the “reports” he had seen, I thought I would suffocate. I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more.
Nate Vance
Volunteer
Nate told reporters that he tried to contact his cousin several times. He even left a message at Vance's office, but received no response.
Twenty years ago, Nate Vance served in the Marine Corps, but after that, until 2022, he lived a civilian life. He built a career in an oil company, and the man's social media shows him as a person with Republican beliefs.
Nate and J.D. are cousins. The Vice President of the United States' mother, Beverly, is the sister of Nate's father, James.
The Da Vinci Wolves battalion confirmed to the Public that Nate Vance indeed fought against the Russian army in the ranks of the unit, but no other details were provided.
