Spies, Lies and Disinformation

Germany’s former spy chief is arrested on suspicion of treason, while ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder joins Putin in Moscow for his birthday. Can America and Europe still trust Berlin with their secrets? And as Marco Rubio tours Europe, why did the EU, Lithuania and Canada drop their support for a disinformation conference: who’s afraid of the truth? An EU President and an American comedian untangle this week's continental rift. Chapters

00:00:00 This week's Continental Rift 00:00:54 The Rifty backstory 00:02:44 Germany's former spy chief arrested 00:04:37 Schröder, Putin and Germany's spies 00:07:48 Three elections, three directions 00:08:19 Bosnia: Dodik thanks Trump and Putin 00:10:20 Latvia's pro-Europe parties triumph 00:11:58 Sánchez announces snap election in Spain 00:15:44 Rubio's selective European tour 00:17:33 The US Ambassador to Greece in the news again 00:19:29 Washington's message to Europe 00:22:16 EU, Lithuania and Canada withdraw from disinformation conference 00:26:40 Brussels eyes a Big Tech levy 00:29:32 Frog Watch 00:31:09 Black Sea attacks and Turkey 00:35:12 EU budget talks heating up 00:36:28 How rifty was this week?

MORE INFORMATION: GERMAN SPY SCANDAL - August Hanning, ex-chief of Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND), was arrested on 6 October and remanded in custody the next day on suspicion of treasonous espionage. His lawyer says he held confidential documents but denies passing information on to harm Germany or for payment. No foreign state has been named by prosecutors. Der Spiegel reported an Azerbaijani intelligence agent may have been the intended recipient of a report containing classified information; Azerbaijani state media called the links “fake” and “a smear campaign”. Estonian Defence Ministry official Herman Simm was convicted of spying for Russia in 2009. SCHRÖDER - The Kremlin said Schröder spent Putin’s birthday with him at his home on 7 October. Schröder joined the supervisory board of Russian retailer Hyperglobus this month. He left Rosneft’s board in May 2022 and declined a Gazprom nomination that year. BOSNIA - Milorad Dodik, ex-president of Republika Srpska, was banned from public office for 6 years in 2025 and was not on the ballot. He called for erasing the border between Republika Srpska and Serbia at a pre-election rally. The New York Times reports Trump advisers James Blair and Chris LaCivita were paid to advise Republika Srpska’s government on voting issues; Trump says they were outside consultants “who don’t work for me”. The FT reports Katie Wiles, daughter of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, is a partner at Continental Strategy, which holds a lobbying contract with Republika Srpska; the firm says she has not lobbied US officials on behalf of it. US AMBASSADOR TO GREECE - The Wall Street Journal reported on 7 October that Ambassador Guilfoyle pressed a donor to pay a $100,000 Amex bill. She and her lawyer dispute the account. #Disinfo2026 CONFERENCE - Lithuania, Canada and the EU’s diplomatic service withdrew sponsorship of the Vilnius conference after Washington objected to panels on the US as a disinformation threat, per a State Department cable seen by POLITICO. France kept its support. Lithuania says it withdrew because parts of the programme differed from official government policy. In September Lithuania’s president announced a new rotation of US troops; on 5 October Trump said he would “certainly look at” a permanent US base after Lithuania’s PM offered to pay for one. FROG WATCH - Two merchant ships were struck by drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone on 6 October; one sank. Bulgaria has not attributed the attack and has ruled out invoking NATO Articles 4 and 5. The ships were Turkish-owned but flagged to Togo, Palau and St Kitts and Nevis. Defence entrepreneur Stefan Thumann, whose company Donaustahl supplies drones to Ukraine, revealed on the podcast Ronzheimer that he was informed of a Russian plot to assassinate him in 2025. EU BUDGET - France’s government debt was 115.6% of GDP at end-2025 (Eurostat), below the 170.6% Greece hit in 2011, though far larger in euros. EU leaders aim to agree the 2028-34 budget by end-2026; it needs unanimous member-state approval and European Parliament consent. CREDITS Editor Conan Roberts Animation & Design Roland Seer - Tartu Multifilm @rolandseer Music by Paabel @paabeltheband (Estonian folk-fusion) Producer Lucy Antonatos © Fresh Lens Film Sàrl 2026 all rights reserved