Explosives & Eggs (soft ones)

Why would Washington spend $4 million on Europe's right-wing media while inviting Russia's finance minister back to the G20? And why Is Germany allowing US company to build a European-sourced cruise missile near Leipzig? A European President and an American comedian untangle this week’s continental rift. Chapters 00:00:00 This week's Continental Rift 00:01:16 Continental Rift backstory 00:02:48 Iceland EU Referendum Result 00:06:57 Germans blame Russia for Attacks 00:12:59 US co. build European cruise missle for Ukraine 00:15:15 Sweden Buys 4x Frigates 00:17:41 Far-Right AfD lead German State election 00:21:19 US spends $$ on European right-wing media 00:26:23 EU Chief Diplomat position threatened 00:31:53 Russian Finance Minister snubbed at G20 Meeting More Information Leipzig suspects. German investigators have identified two suspects in the 4 August Leipzig drone attack through DNA and mobile-phone data, with reports of up to four people under investigation. As of recording, no arrests had been announced. One suspect held an Italian tourist visa; Italian security sources say he never travelled through Italy. The other, a Russian-born man with a Latvian passport, flew into Berlin in late July. According to European Parliament VP Picierno, EU states issued more than 477,000 tourist visas to Russian citizens in 2025 with Italy, France and Spain the largest issuers. Russia's response. On 3 September, Foreign Minister Lavrov said Goethe-Institut centres in Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg would be closed, adding that any other response would show a lack of "self-respect" on Russia's part. Russia's ambassador to Germany says the Bonn consulate closes on 18 September and the Russian House in Berlin by June 2027. The Leipzig missile factory. The US company Covenant plans to build cruise missiles with a range of more than 1,500 km near Leipzig from 2027, with most components sourced in Germany and Europe. Starlink. Ukraine asked the White House in late July to intervene with SpaceX over the use of Starlink for strikes inside Russia. The Financial Times reported in August that the request was not taken up by the administration. Sweden's frigates. Sweden's contract with France's Naval Group for four FDI air-defence frigates is worth SEK 47 billion (about €4.3 billion), with first delivery due in 2030. US grants for European media. Reuters reported on 31 August that the State Department plans $4 million for right-wing media in Europe within a package of at least $25 million for civil-society groups working on conservative causes. The grants are administered by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, which says it does not fund political parties. Recipients have not been identified. Congressional review runs to the end of September. Trump and Spain. President Trump has threatened tariffs on Spain over its refusal to meet NATO's 5% spending target (October 2025) and threatened 100% tariffs on any country imposing a digital services tax (June 2026). Kaja Kallas. Her full title is High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. The Franco-German paper reported by Politico (31 August) would make her an executive vice-president coordinating the Commission's external departments, move much of the EEAS's roughly 5,000 staff into the Commission, and keep security and defence staff under her. At the Wicklow meeting, ministers broadly supported the existing institutional setup but argued it must work better in practice. Timmermans. In a 2023 Dutch television interview, Frans Timmermans said that Kaja Kallas being prime minister of a country bordering Russia was a potential issue for the NATO secretary-general role. Norway, home of then secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, shares a 198 km border with Russia. Estonia. Ülle Madise was elected President of Estonia by parliament on 2 September 2026 and takes office on 12 October.