Vance claims he was attacked by pro-Ukrainian protesters while walking with his daughter; Protesters: Fictional version of events

United States Vice President J.D. Vance claims he was attacked by pro-Ukrainian protesters in Cincinnati on Saturday while walking with his three-year-old daughter, who became "increasingly anxious and frightened" by their shouting.

"Today, as I was walking with my three-year-old daughter, a group of protesters chanting 'Glory to Ukraine' followed us and shouted, while my daughter became increasingly agitated and frightened," Vance wrote on the X platform.

"I decided to talk to the protesters in the hopes of exchanging a few minutes of conversation for them to leave my child alone. (Almost everyone agreed.) It was mostly a respectful conversation, but if you're chasing a three-year-old child as part of a political protest, you're a bad person," he said.

However, protesters claim that Vance's version of events is fabricated and that they met him by chance on their way to a nearby protest.

A nearly three-minute video of the incident shows Vance surrounded by Secret Service agents as protesters ask him questions about Russia's war in Ukraine and the withdrawal of US support.

"We believe it is in the best interest of our people, and frankly in the best interest of the Ukrainians, for the war to stop," Vance said in a video shared by Ohio news outlet WCPO.

Vance also admits that Russia "certainly" invaded Ukraine in 2022, contradicting recent statements by President Donald Trump, who blamed Ukraine for the invasion, reports the Independent.

Protesters told him that "people are dying" and that the administration is "selling out" Ukrainians.

"Respectfully, ma'am, I disagree," Vance replied. "I think what we're doing is actually leading toward a diplomatic solution."

Vance became a target of protesters supporting Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion, now in its fourth year, after he provoked, in the eyes of many, a disastrous Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Vance was seen by many, writes the Independent, as the initiator of the attack on Zelensky - who questioned what the administration meant by "diplomacy" with Russia after Putin violated ceasefire agreements - which quickly escalated into a brawl in front of the world's media, sparking international condemnation.

As the United States withdraws support for its ally, Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine. On Saturday, protests in support of Kiev were held in Europe and Washington.

This is not the first time protesters have confronted Vance after a meeting with Zelensky. The vice president and his family were also met with angry protests during a vacation in Vermont, where protesters told him to "go skiing in Russia."

Ahead of Vance's visit and before the drama unfolded in the Oval Office, Vermont's Republican governor, Phil Scott, issued a statement welcoming Vance and his family to the state. He asked Vermonters to do the same, even if they disagree politically with the vice president.

"I hope Vermonters will remember that the vice president is here on a family trip with his young children and that while we may not always agree, we should be respectful," the statement said.