Former MSNBC contributor Malcolm Nance revealed Monday he is fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers as part of the country’s foreign legion.
The network’s former national security analyst has been absent from MSNBC’s coverage of the war in recent weeks. On Monday’s The ReidOut, he revealed why.
Nance, who spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, told host Joy Reid he left the U.S. just a few weeks into Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine after he had seen enough carnage.
“Well, as you know, I spent quite a bit of time here in the pre-war period, and when the invasion happened I had friends in Donetsk in the Ukrainian army who are writing to us and telling us we’re not going to survive tonight,” Nance told Reid.
Nance, who was wearing battle fatigues and wielding a rifle during the interview, said his mission is to protect civilians.
“You know,as the more I saw of the war going on, the more I thought, ‘I’m done talking,’ all right?’” he said from what Reid called a secure location. “It’s time to take action here. So, about a month ago, I joined the international legion here in Ukraine and I am here to help this country fight, you know, what essentially is a war of extermination.”
Nance said the legion is made up of men and women from across the world who traveled to Ukraine to fight
“We’re here for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to protect the innocent people of Ukraine from this Russian aggression,” Nance told Reid. “They are destroying infrastructure and go to the cities and they massacre men, women and children and that is the fundamental reason everyone is here here.”
Nance said he is one of “thousands” who are fighting alongside Ukrainian troops.
UPDATE: After Nance’s interview with Reid went viral, a network spokesperson told POLITICO’s Max Tani Nance is no longer with the network:
No additional details about Nance’s exit from MSNBC are available.
Watch above, via MSNBC.