US vice president JD Vance reported an incident in Cincinnati on Saturday where pro-Ukraine demonstrators approached him whilst he was walking with his young daughter, causing her distress.
“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 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. (Nearly all of them agreed.),” his post continued.
“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,” he further said.

The vice president has drawn criticism from supporters of Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression, particularly after the controversial Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The meeting gained notoriety when Vance was perceived to have prompted a confrontation with Zelenskyy, who had questioned the administration’s stance on diplomatic relations with Russia, despite Putin’s non-compliance with ceasefire agreements. The exchange deteriorated into a public argument, drawing widespread international criticism.

Many social media users, however, pointed out that it was a small group of protestors standing at the end of a street closed off by the local police.