Reaction & Commentary
Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while he was out walking with his 3-year-old daughter.
“Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared,” Vance posted Saturday afternoon on X.
“I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone,” he continued. “Nearly all of them agreed.”
Vance said it was a “mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s— person.”
Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while he was out walking with his 3-year-old daughter. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
“Slava Ukraini” is a battle cry for the Ukrainian armed forces, meaning “Glory to Ukraine.”
While the vice president didn’t specify what he talked to the protesters about, the Trump administration has cut off funding in the last week for Ukraine and stopped intelligence sharing with the country after a tense Oval Office exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Vance.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the vice president’s office for comment.
Tensions rose during the Oval Office meeting Feb. 28 over a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted and had breached other agreements.
TRUMP PAUSES AID TO UKRAINE AFTER FIERY MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY
Trump and Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a “bad position” at the negotiating table.
President Trump and Vice President JD Vance held a tense Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Feb. 28. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“You’re playing cards,” Trump said. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.”
After Vance told Zelenskyy Ukraine had manpower and military recruiting problems, Zelenskyy said war means “everybody has problems, even you,” adding the U.S. would feel the war “in the future.”
“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump responded. “We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”
Vice President JD Vance with his two young children. (Ian Langsdon/AFp via Getty Images)
Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a scheduled news conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the U.S. its rare earth minerals was left unsigned.
The White House has said Zelenskyy must publicly apologize for the Oval Office meeting or the minerals deal won’t be considered.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy called the meeting “regrettable” and said he is ready to pursue peace with Trump’s help.
Vance was also met by protesters last weekend, when his family went on a ski vacation in Vermont a day after the Feb. 28 exchange.
Pro-Ukrainian protesters demonstrated against Vance in Vermont after his tense meeting with Zelenskyy. (John Lazenby/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The protesters called him a “traitor” and told him to “go ski in Russia.”
Liberal commentator Tim Miller criticized Vance over his X post Saturday, writing, “Dozens are dead in Ukraine because you stopped giving them the intelligence that protected the country from bombs so you can probably handle some yelling in a free country boss.”
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On Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was considering “large-scale” sanctions on Russia “until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached.”
“Get to the table right now, before it is too late,” he wrote of Russia and Ukraine.
