A former MSNBC analyst said he was ‘done talking’ about the war in Ukraine and joined a legion of international troops to fight against Russia: ‘It’s time to take action’

•  Former MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance is in Ukraine fighting against the Russians.
• Nance appeared on MSNBC in combat gear, holding an assault rifle.
• “The more I saw of the war going on, the more I thought, ‘I’m done talking, all right? It’s time to take action here,'” Nance said.

Former MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance has been fighting against Russian forces in Ukraine as part of an international legion of troops, which he joined after deciding that he was “done talking” about the conflict and that it was time to “take action.”

Nance told MSNBC host Joy Reid this week that he joined the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine a month ago.

“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 who are in Donetsk, who are in the Ukrainian army, who are writing to us and telling us, ‘We’re not gonna survive tonight. We’ve been hit 500 times,'” he said.

“The more I saw of the war going on, the more I thought: ‘I’m done talking, alright? It’s time to take action here,'” Nance added.

He told Reid that he had gone to Ukraine to help the country “fight what essentially is a war of extermination.”

“This is an existential war, and Russia has brought it to these people, and they are mass-murdering civilians. And there are people here like me, who are here to do something about it,” said Nance.

He added that he joined the international legion to assist them with his skills. 

Before heading to Ukraine, Nance was the director of a think-tank called the Terror Asymmetrics Project on Strategy, Tactics, and Radical Ideologies. He also worked as an MSNBC analyst, speaking on issues such as terrorism and foreign affairs.

Nance also served in the Navy as an intelligence collections operator and has been involved in counterterrorism operations in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.

“I’m grateful to be here, I’m glad that I can help my friends. And I don’t have to listen to them talk about how many children were killed that day,” Nance said. 

Nance also posted an image of himself on Twitter in full combat gear, holding a weapon.

—Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) April 19, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set up the legion that Nance joined in February to facilitate foreign citizens who wanted to join the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion. 

In an interview with The Daily Beast’s Zachary Petrizzo, Nance said he was “very touched” when he met his first platoon and noted that everyone was there for “the right reasons” and not just to get their hands on guns.

“The international legion is one of the best-kept secrets in the country. That’s the story. They were higher-level people than I am,” Nance told The Daily Beast. “I really can’t tell you how diverse a group it really is. It is literally a multinational force of men and women who are here to defend Ukraine.” 

“Also, if anybody gives me any fucking flak, just tell them to shut the fuck up since they’re obviously pussies who have never been in combat. The Legion only takes combat vets,” he said, per the outlet.

MSNBC confirmed in a tweet on Tuesday that Nance no longer works for the network.

In March, The Washington Post reported that, according to estimates by Ukrainian officials, around 4,000 Americans have joined the international legion in Ukraine and have signed contracts stating that they will fight until the war ends.

The US government has indicated in its travel advisory for Ukraine that it will not be able to evacuate American citizens from the country. Those who disregard the travel advisory have been advised to draft wills and establish personal security plans.