President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have refashioned the United States into “Vladimir Putin’s useful idiots,” the VP’s cousin alleged in the wake of the Trump administration’s recent abandonment of military and intelligence support for Ukraine.

Nate Vance, who volunteered to fight in Ukraine after Vladimir Putin's invasion, has taken a dim view of his cousin's recent remarks.

Nate Vance, the cousin of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and a volunteer fighting on Ukraine's front lines, said he is "disappointed" in his relative's stance on Ukraine. Vance, a former U.S. Marine, defended Ukraine from 2022 to January 2025 as a member of the Da Vinci WolvesFirst Motorized Battalion,

The cousin of US Vice President JD Vance fought for Ukraine as part of the "Da Vinci Wolves" unit. This refers to Nate Vance, reports Le Figaro. According to the publication, Nate Vance served in the US Marine Corps for four years before moving to Texas and working in an oil company.