Vance’s cousin a pro-Kiev mercenary – Le Figaro
A cousin of US Vice President J.D. Vance spent three years fighting with a Ukrainian military unit in the conflict with Russia and is now seeking a publisher for his story, Le Figaro has claimed.
Nate Vance fought in the ‘Da Vinci Wolves’ battalion, a Ukrainian unit originally formed as a militia of far-right nationalists from the local Right Sector group and named after its late founder, Dmitry ‘Da Vinci’ Kotsubailo, the French daily reported on Sunday.
Nate Vance is the son of James Vance, brother to the vice president’s mother, Beverly. The 47-year-old veteran of the US Marine Corps reportedly leveraged his military experience to support the Ukrainian army, initially serving as an instructor before taking on combat roles. He is said to have returned to his home in Texas in January, just before J.D. Vance was sworn in, claiming he could no longer risk capture.
J.D. Vance rose to prominence with his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which details his upbringing in poverty-stricken Appalachia. Speaking to the French daily, Nate criticized his famous cousin, asserting that his views on Ukraine are misguided and stating: “I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more.”
The US vice president recently faced accusations of “ambushing” Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky during his visit to the White House. Tensions flared when Zelensky questioned President Donald Trump’s ability to negotiate a sustainable peace deal with Russia, resulting in a heated on-camera exchange among the three.
The Russian government considers all foreign fighters employed by Kiev as mercenaries who should be prosecuted. Last week, a Russian court sentenced 22-year-old British national James Scott Rhys Anderson to 19 years in prison on terrorism charges related to his role in the ongoing Ukrainian incursion in Russia’s Kursk Region.
