# What JD Vance thinks about cousin's public attacks on his Ukraine policy | Fox News



## What JD Vance thinks about cousin's public attacks on his Ukraine policy

### Nate Vance attacked the vice president's comments to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office

Vice President JD Vance responds Monday to a scathing critique from his cousin Nate of his strategy for the Russia-Ukraine war.

Nate Vance, who has spent years as a volunteer fighter for Ukraine against Russia, spoke to the  on Sunday about his thoughts on the combative exchange between President Donald Trump, the vice president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month.

Although he considered his cousin a "good guy" and "intelligent," Nate Vance called the scene "an ambush of absolute bad faith."



**“VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE REVEALS WHERE THINGS 'BROKE APART' DURING TRUMP-ZELENSKYY BLOWUP AT THE WHITE HOUSE”**

"Just because I'm related to you doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and watch you get my comrades killed," Nate Vance said. "When JD justifies his distrust of Zelenskyy by the 'reports' he has seen, I thought I was going to choke."

Nate Vance was also offended by  and saying the Ukrainian leader "should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end" to the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Donald Trump and my cousin clearly believe they can placate Vladimir Putin," Nate said. "They are wrong. The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin’s useful idiots."

Nate Vance added that he had left messages with his cousin’s office on the topic, given his experience on the front lines in Ukraine.

"I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more," Nate Vance said.



Vance called Zelenskyy "disrespectful" and said he "should be thanking" Trump for his assistance in the war.

(Reuters)

Nate Vance made similar comments on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" on Monday, saying he was "surprised" by what he saw in the Oval Office scene.

"There’s a certain level of decorum that should be reached. And, you know, I’m not naive enough to think that, you know, national leaders don’t debate behind closed doors," Nate Vance said. "But when you do that and you publicly, you know, kind of ridicule someone in public that they have to almost defend themselves…it was really disappointing to see it for me."

In a statement to , Vice President Vance said that he never spoke publicly about his cousin’s service because he didn't want to endanger his life more than it already was.





Vance has said he is open to speaking with his cousin about Ukraine despite his recent attacks.

(AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)

The vice president added that he "always considered Nate the toughest guy  knew" and that he was "always happy to talk to him."



Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to lindsay.kornick@fox.com and on Twitter: @lmkornick.
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