27. Vance's comments come just over one week before the U.S. presidential election, which carries high stakes for the future of American military support to Ukraine. "I think that he's clearly an adversary. He is a competitor," Vance told NBC News when asked if he considers Putin an ally or enemy. "But I think that we also have to be smart about diplomacy, too. Just because we don't like somebody, doesn't mean that we can't occasionally engage in conversations with them."Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's relationship with Putin has been the subject of increased scrutiny in light of recent allegations that he held multiple phone calls with the Russian president after leaving the White House. Trump frequently touts his good relationship with Putin on the campaign trail and has blamed U.S.