Vice President JD Vance claimed that he was harassed by pro-Ukraine protesters while taking his three-year-old daughter out for a walk on Saturday.

“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 claimed on X Saturday afternoon. 

“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. (Nearly all of them agreed),” he added. “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–t person.”

“Slava Ukraini” is the Ukrainian armed forces’ national salute and translates to “Glory to Ukraine.” The phrase has been widely used by pro-Ukrainian protesters across the US. 

Vance, 40, didn’t delve too much into the specifics of his conversation with the pro-Ukraine protesters, but protester Ann Henry claimed to WCPO 9 News that “no one was chasing him.”

Video shared by WCPO 9 News, which covers Cincinnati, Ohio, showed protesters chanting that “people are dying” and accused the Trump administration of “selling out” Ukrainians. The footage did not show how the confrontation began. 

“With respect, ma’am, I disagree,” Vance replied when pressed about the situation. “I think that what we’re doing is we’re actually forcing a diplomatic settlement.”

Zelensky was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a scheduled news conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the US its rare earth minerals was left unsigned. 

The White House has said Zelensky must publicly apologize for the Oval Office meeting or the minerals deal won’t be considered. 

On Tuesday, Zelensky called the meeting “regrettable” and said he is ready to pursue peace with Trump’s help. 

Vance said that Russia “certainly invaded Ukraine in 2022” and added that “there needs to be a settlement.” One woman was heard yelling that Russia “is the aggressor every time.”

“I understand that that’s your view,” Vance shot back, noting that he had condemned the invasion.
The vice president, who has a knack for engaging in debates with critics on social media and in-person, has long been skeptical of US support for Ukraine. 

Back in the 2022 midterm elections, while vying for the Senate before the war started, Vance publicly declared that he didn’t “really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.”

That same year, Vance ripped Ukraine as a “corrupt nation run by oligarchs” and said that his priority was combating the fentanyl crisis back at home. Later, he clarified that “Vladimir Putin is the bad guy in this situation.”

During the 2024 campaign cycle, Vance floated a peace plan that included guarantees to Russia that Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO and would give up some territory held by Russia. Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky later rebuked Vance as “too radical.”

Vance and Zelensky feuded during the latter’s visit to the White House late last month, with President Trump staunchly behind his veep. 

“You’re playing cards,” Trump said during the exchange, backing up Vance. “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 this country.”

US and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia later this week in a bid to get a mineral deal back on track. 

Vance was previously heckled last weekend by protesters while his family went on a ski trip in Vermont just after the blow-up in the Oval Office with Zelensky. Some of the protesters needled that he should “go ski in Russia,” and some called him a “traitor.”