The Continental Rift

A comedian and a former president walk into Europe's biggest mess. American comedian Andy Valvur’s oldest friend, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, grew up to become President of Estonia. Now, as the transatlantic alliance comes apart, The Continental Rift is their weekly, irreverent take on European geopolitics: the EU, NATO, Trump, Russia, and what comes next. Serious politics, questionable hosts. New episodes weekly. This week EUBS asks why… … did the US embassy quietly killed the dinners where diplomacy actually happens? And why do the Europeans count getting tariffed as a win? Also… Ukraine gets to try to join the EU, but can you fill in Europe’s paperwork while fighting for survival (and will French farmers be happy to acept. farming superpower into their club)? And at the G7 in Évian, has holding the free world together really come down to keeping one man in a good mood? Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:30 EUBS: American diplomacy dinners end 00:03:21 EUBS: US EU trade deal ratified 00:04:37 Ukraine's accession to the EU 00:12:25 G7 in Evian 00:15:43 EUtopia 00:18:05 Credits CREDITS Editor Conan Roberts Animation & Design Roland Seer - Tartu Multifilm @rolandseer Music by Paabel @paabeltheband (Estonian folk-fusion) Executive Producer Fred Casella © Fresh Lens Film Sàrl 2026 all rights reserved

A comedian & ex President (of Estonia, twice) - childhood buddies, American raised now living in Europe - riff on the 'divorce' between the US & Europe. Serious politics, questionable hosts. This week EUBS asks why… does Pete Hegseth equate the allied (including US) storming the Normandy beaches on D-Day to liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny with migrants fleeing war; whether dressing some of his kids in US military uniform is good “optics”, and why the EU Parliament hosts groups with odd beliefs. Also… Is America Europe’s friend or, er… not? https://ecfr.eu/publication/home-alone-europeans-are-ready-to-defend-themselves/ Ireland’s alumina scandal https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/08/why-ireland-is-under-fire-over-its-alumina-exports-to-russia https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/09/kaja-kallas-urges-ireland-to-get-the-facts-straight-on-alumina-sales-to-russia Albania gets in a mess with Kushner & EU https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/5/why-the-kushners-plan-to-build-an-albanian-resort-has-sparked-protests Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:32 America, friend or....not? 00:05:12 EUBS 00:11:09 Ireland's alumina scandal 00:16:05 Albania's Kushner Resort 00:22:15 Other fun stuff & looking ahead CREDITS Editor Valter Nõmm Animation & Design Roland Seer - Tartu Multifilm @rolandseer Music by Paabel @paabeltheband (Estonian folk-fusion) Executive Producer Fred Casella © Fresh Lens Film Sàrl 2026 all rights reserved

A comedian & ex President (of Estonia, twice) - childhood buddies, American raised now living in Europe - riff on the 'divorce' between the US & Europe. Serious politics, questionable hosts. This week EUBS asks why… The EU insists on a fleet of EVs that cannot make the trip between Brussels and Strasbourg in on a single charge; why Albanians are protesting a Kushner real estate development and why Hungary’s President is appealing to European institutions to help him stay in post. Also… Russia’s Shadow Tanker Fleet https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/the-shadow-fleet-is-undermining-the-maritime-order-more-brazenly-than-ever/ https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-06-01/frances-macron-says-french-navy-boarded-russia-linked-oil-tanker https://kyivindependent.com/eus-last-shipyard-servicing-russian-lng-fleet-may-repair-up-to-6-vessels-before-ban-report-says/ Europe’s Single Capital Market https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-10-2025-0124_EN.html https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-29/eu-s-economic-powers-strike-deal-to-push-capital-markets-merger https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/05/asml-ceo-christophe-fouquet-no-one-is-coming-for-us/ Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:40 EUBS: EU's EV fleet, Hungary's President & Albania protests Kushners 00:10:54 Russia's Show Tanker Fleet 00:19:27 Baby Steps to joined up Capital Markets 00:30:38 Next week... 00:32:32 Credits CREDITS Editor Valter Nõmm Animation & Design Roland Seer - Tartu Multifilm @rolandseer Music by Paabel @paabeltheband (Estonian folk-fusion) Executive Producer Fred Casella © Fresh Lens Film Sàrl 2026 all rights reserved

A comedian & ex President (of Estonia, twice) - childhood buddies, American raised now living in Europe - riff on the 'divorce' between the US & Europe. Serious politics, questionable hosts. This week… Drones fall on Baltics & Finland while US disengages https://novayagazeta.eu/en/articles/2026/05/21/at-least-24-drone-incidents-recorded-in-the-baltic-states-since-start-of-2025-en-news https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2026/05/26/report-us-to-cut-strategic-bombers-and-warships-available-to-nato-in-a-crisis/ https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/27/uk-spy-chief-gchq-russia-china-us-cyber-attack-security.html The Pope, Peter Thiel & the AntiChrist https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html https://firstthings.com/when-envy-turns-apocalyptic/ https://thecatholicherald.com/article/is-magnifica-humanitas-aimed-at-peter-thiels-techno-political-empire Animation & Design Roland Seer - Tartu Multifilm @rolandseer Editor Valter Nõmm Music Paabel @paabeltheband (Estonian folk-fusion) Executive Producer Fred Casella © Fresh Lens Film Sàrl 2026 all rights reserved Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:28 Background to the Pod 00:04:27 Europe-US relationship when Toomas was President 00:05:55 Drones falling on the Baltics 00:10:08 Russian threatens, US disengages 00:19:04 The Pope, Peter Thiel & the AntiChrist 00:28:18 Next week... 00:30:36 credits

The relationship keeping the free world together is falling apart. I’m Andy, a comedian. My oldest buddy - since toddlerhood - became a two-term European president. We grew up in the US as refugee kids (the USSR erased our country from the map), but now we live in Europe. As the EU and the US 'divorce' we decided to stop keeping our conversations to ourselves. You're welcome. The Continental Rift: serious politics, questionable hosts. Animation & Design Roland Seer - Tartu Multifilm @rolandseer Editor Valter Nõmm Music Paabel @paabeltheband (Estonian folk-fusion) Executive Producer Fred Casella © Fresh Lens Film Sàrl 2026 all rights reserved