Latest news with #NateVance
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JD Vance's cousin Nate: Zelenskyy-Trump spat was "performance for someone who wasn't in room", possibly Putin
Nate Vance, cousin of US Vice President JD Vance, believes that comments about the appearance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House in the winter were "a play aimed at someone who was not in the room". He suggested that it may have been done for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. Source: European Pravda, citing Nate Vance in an interview with German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazine Details: Nate Vance was reminded that during a visit to the Oval Office in late February, Zelenskyy was criticised on camera for not wearing a suit, and he was shown a photo of himself with JD Vance in casual clothes. When asked if this was an act of solidarity with Zelenskyy, he responded that it was not intentional. JD and Nate Vance. Photo: Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazine "I asked JD: 'Hey, I don't want to sound cynical, but I don't have a suit. Is that a problem?' He replied: 'Don't worry, just come in. We have visitors all the time'," he said. Nate noted that JD Vance knows why Zelenskyy is not wearing a suit. "We talked about it, he's not stupid," Nate said. "And he [JD Vance] didn't take it as disrespectful. That's one of the reasons why I think the whole show with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office was aimed at someone who wasn't in the room." When asked if this performance could have been directed at Putin, he replied: "It's possible". Zelenskyy has not worn a suit since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Polish President Andrzej Duda once wished that Zelenskyy would come to one of the summits "in a suit" to symbolise the end of the war in Ukraine. In February, a reporter asked Zelenskyy in the Oval Office why he did not wear a suit to a meeting at the US highest-level office. "Why don't you wear a suit? Do you own a suit?" the journalist asked. "Do you have any problems?" Zelenskyy replied. "A lot of Americans have problems with those who don't respect the dress code of the Oval Office," the journalist replied. After that, Zelenskyy said he would wear a suit after the Russo-Ukrainian war ends. Background: Media reports indicate that one factor that irritated Trump at his meeting with Zelenskyy was that the Ukrainian leader did not arrive in a suit. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Yes, Vice President JD Vance's cousin Nate fought in Ukraine for three years
Claim: U.S. Vice President JD Vance's cousin Nate Vance fought in Ukraine for three years during its war with Russia. Rating: In March 2025, posts appeared on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky and X, alleging that U.S. Vice President JD Vance's cousin Nate Vance volunteered to fight in Ukraine for three years during its war with Russia. Some posts claimed Nate Vance was speaking out to criticize his cousin after learning about the contentious meeting U.S. President Donald Trump and JD Vance held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28, 2025. Snopes readers searched our site and submitted emails asking if the claim was true. While we could not independently confirm that the claim was true, several reputable news organizations from various countries, including CNN and French newspaper Le Figaro (archived), all reported that Vance volunteered to fight in Ukraine and served alongside Ukrainian forces for three years, and provided sufficient photographic evidence. The story was first reported by the French-language newspaper Le Figaro on March 9. In that article, which Snopes translated to English, Nate Vance said he served for four years in the Marines between the ages of 18 and 22. He originally visited Ukraine just a few weeks after Russia began a full-scale invasion there in late February 2022 and was on the war's front lines by June 2022. He kept his familial connection to JD Vance relatively hidden and returned to the United States in January 2025, not willing to risk being captured. Nate Vance, a Texas native, also criticized his cousin's treatment of Zelenskyy during the Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting, according to Le Figaro: "Donald Trump and my cousin clearly believe they can coax Vladimir Putin. They are wrong. The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin's useful idiots." In the days following the publication of the Le Figaro article, Nate Vance spoke to several other news outlets, including the BBC, where he said he felt "attached to the Ukrainian issue," but would still be speaking out even without his personal connections: "If it were some other completely neutral issue ... and I saw White House officials and hack journalists that are political, belittling a foreign leader, I'd be like 'what the hell is going on?'" Nate Vance shared photos of himself on the front lines in Ukraine and family photos including both him and his cousin with Le Figaro and CNN. Vance was recognizable in the front-line photos, and both men were recognizable in the family photos. "Fact-Checking Trump and Vance's Attacks on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy." PBS News, 2 Mar. 2025, JD Vance's Cousin Criticises Him for "belittling" Zelensky. 10 Mar. 2025, ""Nous sommes les idiots utiles de Vladimir Poutine" : Le Figaro a retrouvé Nate, cousin germain de JD Vance et combattant volontaire en Ukraine." Le Figaro, 9 Mar. 2025, Peleschuk, Dan. "Prominent Ukrainian Army Unit Launches Own Recruitment Drive to Strengthen Ranks." Reuters, 16 Feb. 2024. Perry, Alex. "JD Vance Responds to His Cousin's 'idiot' Criticism, Citing 'Failed Effort to Contact Me.'" The Enquirer, Accessed 12 Mar. 2025. "What They Said: Trump, Zelenskyy and Vance's Heated Argument in the Oval Office." AP News, 28 Feb. 2025,
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JD Vance responds to cousin who called him and Trump ‘Putin's useful idiots'
Vice President JD Vance has responded to the criticism levied by his cousin Nate Vance, who volunteered in Ukraine and called the VP and President Donald Trump Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'useful idiots.' '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,' Vance said in a statement, according to The Daily Beast. Nate Vance spent three years on the front lines fighting for Ukraine against the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. 'As far as his criticisms, I have no interest in arguing with him in public, but I do feel the need to address one issue in particular: his failed effort to contact me,' the vice president added, noting that his cousin could have contacted his mother, father, or sister, adding that they're 'regularly' in touch. '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,' said Vance. In his Sunday interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Nate Vance said he had tried to get in touch with the vice president through his office to share his views following the Oval Office blow-up between the VP, Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Nate Vance called the meeting an 'ambush of absolute dishonesty.' Nate Vance subsequently told CNN on Monday that he was unsure whether JD Vance had received his message at all. 'But I did reach out,' Nate Vance told CNN. 'Regardless of whether or not I reached out or not, I mean, he definitely knew I was there and at no point tried to make contact, and there were ways to do that.' The Texan also told the BBC he views himself as 'pretty Republican.' He criticized his cousin in numerous interviews this week. 'Regardless of the situation, there's a certain level of decorum that should be reached,' Nate Vance told CNN on Monday. 'When you do that and you publicly, you know, kind of ridicule someone in public that they have to almost defend themselves, it was just really disappointing to see it,' he added, seemingly in reference to the Oval Office meeting where the vice president insisted to Zelensky that he show more gratitude for U.S. aid to Ukraine. 'For me, I disagreed with that tact.' During the now-infamous Oval Office meeting, the VP harshly criticized Zelensky in front of the TV cameras, calling him ungrateful and disrespectful. Nate Vance told Le Figaro the vice president is 'intelligent' and a 'good guy,' but that he's playing politics when it comes to aid to Ukraine. The vice president has long been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine, even during his short stint as an Ohio senator. 'When he criticized aid to Ukraine, I told myself that it was because he had to please a certain electorate, that it was the game of politics,' Nate Vance told Le Figaro. 'But what they did to Zelensky was an ambush of absolute bad faith.' 'Donald Trump and my cousin clearly believe they can placate Vladimir Putin,' he added. 'They are wrong. The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin's useful idiots.' He added that he was 'disappointed' by the Oval Office showdown. 'I was disappointed. When JD justifies his distrust of Zelensky by the 'reports' he has seen, I thought I was going to choke,' said Nate Vance. 'His own cousin was on the front lines,' he added. 'I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more.' Nate Vance returned home to the U.S. in January, not long before his cousin and Trump took office, noting that he couldn't risk being captured. The Texan and former U.S. Marine said he volunteered for the Da Vinci Wolves First Motorized Battalion from 2022 until January. 'Being your family doesn't mean I'm going to accept you killing my comrades,' he told the French paper. This comes as Ukraine has agreed to a U.S. proposal for an immediate ceasefire, which will go into effect for 30 days if Russia agrees to the terms, a joint statement between the U.S. and Ukrainian governments revealed. The proposal followed eight hours of negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations. Zelensky wrote on X that the deal includes 'a 30-day full interim ceasefire, not only stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal — we see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same.'
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
JD Vance responds to cousin who called him and Trump ‘Putin's useful idiots'
Vice President JD Vance has responded to the criticism levied by his cousin Nate Vance, who volunteered in Ukraine and called the VP and President Donald Trump Russian President Vladimir Putin 's 'useful idiots.' '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,' Vance said in a statement, according to The Daily Beast. Nate Vance spent three years on the front lines fighting for Ukraine against the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. 'As far as his criticisms, I have no interest in arguing with him in public, but I do feel the need to address one issue in particular: his failed effort to contact me,' the vice president added, noting that his cousin could have contacted his mother, father, or sister, adding that they're 'regularly' in touch. '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,' said Vance. In his Sunday interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Nate Vance said he had tried to get in touch with the vice president through his office to share his views following the Oval Office blow-up between the VP, Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Nate Vance called the meeting an 'ambush of absolute dishonesty.' Nate Vance subsequently told CNN on Monday that he was unsure whether JD Vance had received his message at all. 'But I did reach out,' Nate Vance told CNN. 'Regardless of whether or not I reached out or not, I mean, he definitely knew I was there and at no point tried to make contact, and there were ways to do that.' The Texan also told the BBC he views himself as 'pretty Republican.' He criticized his cousin in numerous interviews this week. 'Regardless of the situation, there's a certain level of decorum that should be reached,' Nate Vance told CNN on Monday. 'When you do that and you publicly, you know, kind of ridicule someone in public that they have to almost defend themselves, it was just really disappointing to see it,' he added, seemingly in reference to the Oval Office meeting where the vice president insisted to Zelensky that he show more gratitude for U.S. aid to Ukraine. 'For me, I disagreed with that tact.' During the now-infamous Oval Office meeting, the VP harshly criticized Zelensky in front of the TV cameras, calling him ungrateful and disrespectful. Nate Vance told Le Figaro the vice president is 'intelligent' and a 'good guy,' but that he's playing politics when it comes to aid to Ukraine. The vice president has long been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine, even during his short stint as an Ohio senator. 'When he criticized aid to Ukraine, I told myself that it was because he had to please a certain electorate, that it was the game of politics,' Nate Vance told Le Figaro. 'But what they did to Zelensky was an ambush of absolute bad faith.' 'Donald Trump and my cousin clearly believe they can placate Vladimir Putin,' he added. 'They are wrong. The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin's useful idiots.' He added that he was 'disappointed' by the Oval Office showdown. 'I was disappointed. When JD justifies his distrust of Zelensky by the 'reports' he has seen, I thought I was going to choke,' said Nate Vance. 'His own cousin was on the front lines,' he added. 'I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more.' Nate Vance returned home to the U.S. in January, not long before his cousin and Trump took office, noting that he couldn't risk being captured. The Texan and former U.S. Marine said he volunteered for the Da Vinci Wolves First Motorized Battalion from 2022 until January. 'Being your family doesn't mean I'm going to accept you killing my comrades,' he told the French paper. This comes as Ukraine has agreed to a U.S. proposal for an immediate ceasefire, which will go into effect for 30 days if Russia agrees to the terms, a joint statement between the U.S. and Ukrainian governments revealed. The proposal followed eight hours of negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations. 'a 30-day full interim ceasefire, not only stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal — we see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"I didn't want to endanger his life more than it already was": Vance responds to his cousin's criticism
US Vice President JD Vance has responded to statements made by his cousin Nate Vance, who fought for Ukraine and has been critical of JD Vance's treatment of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their spat in the Oval Office. Source: Fox News, as reported by European Pravda Details: On Sunday 9 March, the French newspaper Le Figaro published an interview with Nate Vance in which he called his cousin and US President Donald Trump "Vladimir Putin's useful idiots". He also said they had "ambushed" Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. The US vice president told Fox News he had never spoken publicly about his cousin's service because he "didn't want to endanger his life more than it already was". Quote from JD Vance: "As far as his criticisms, I have no interest in arguing with him in public, but I do feel the need to address one issue in particular: his failed effort to contact me." Details: JD Vance said he does not understand why his cousin tried to reach him through his Senate office instead of his mother, father or sister, with whom he is "in contact regularly". The vice president added that he has "always considered Nate the toughest guy [he] knew" and that he is "always happy to talk to him". Background: On 28 February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the White House ahead of schedule following a spat with Donald Trump and JD Vance. Trump responded by claiming that Zelenskyy had "disrespected" the United States and was "not ready for peace". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
