According to reports, Nate Vance fought in a Ukrainian military unit established by a far-right nationalist.
Le Figaro reports that a cousin of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance spent three years fighting with a Ukrainian military unit in the conflict against Russia and is now seeking a publisher for his story.
The French daily reported on Sunday that Nate Vance fought in the ‘Da Vinci Wolves’ battalion, a Ukrainian unit initially formed as a militia of far-right nationalists from the local Right Sector group. The unit was named after its late founder, Dmitry ‘Da Vinci’ Kotsubailo.
Nate Vance, 47, is the son of James Vance, the brother of Vice President Vance’s mother, Beverly. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran reportedly used his military experience to aid the Ukrainian army, initially as an instructor before taking on combat roles. He is said to have returned to his Texas home in January, just before J.D. Vance was sworn in, stating that he could no longer risk being captured.
J.D. Vance gained recognition with his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which recounts his upbringing in impoverished Appalachia. Nate Vance criticized his well-known cousin in a statement to the French daily, claiming that his views on Ukraine are incorrect and stating: “I could have told him the truth, without pretense, without personal interest. He never tried to find out more.”
The U.S. vice president was recently accused of “ambushing” Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky during his White House visit. Tensions arose when Zelensky questioned President Donald Trump’s ability to negotiate a lasting peace agreement with Russia, which led to a tense on-camera exchange between the three.
The Russian government views all foreign fighters employed by Kiev as mercenaries who should be prosecuted. Last week, a Russian court sentenced James Scott Rhys Anderson, a 22-year-old British national, to 19 years in prison on terrorism charges related to his role in the ongoing Ukrainian incursion in Russia’s Kursk Region.
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