The Continental Rift show
An Estonian President and an American comedian untangle European-American mayhem every week. Tune in.
Not many Americans have a childhood friend that grew up to become President.
US comedian Andy Valvur did, although his friend Toomas Hendrik Ilves became President of Estonia on the other side of the Atlantic.
It means you call him a lot, explains Andy, to make sense of the world as US-European relations face the biggest challenge of all our lifetimes.
Those conversations, often irreverent and always insightful, have now become the Continental Rift show so we can all listen in.
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You can watch the Continental Rift on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Make sure you subscribe and also follow the Continental Rift on Twitter/X, Instagram, and Threads.
Latest episode
A President and a comedian
Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Andy Valvur are both the children of Estonian refugees who grew up in the US while their parent’s homeland had been erased from most maps.
After the end of Soviet occupation, Estonia re-established its state and Toomas Hendrik Ilves served as Estonian Ambassador to the US, Foreign Minister, and then President of the Republic. Throughout this, he played a leading role in Estonia’s integration into NATO and the European Union, and Estonia’s transformation into an advanced digital nation and tech startup hub.
President Ilves is also a valued contributor to Baltic Takes.
Andy Valvur is a comedian, journalist and writer whose career has taken him from American comedy clubs to international political commentary. His work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle, and he has also written for television and radio, including PBS’s Emmy-nominated The Durst Amendment and Dan Aykroyd’s House of Blues Radio Hour.
You should also follow them both on social media. President Ilves is on Twitter/X and Bluesky, while Andy Valvur is on Twitter/X and Instagram.
Some of our highlights
EU countries give the vast majority of aid to Ukraine. It borders four of them, after all. And Ukraine’s freedom and security is essential for all of Europe’s freedom and security.
— Baltic Takes (@Baltic_Takes) October 30, 2026
So when will our continent get its act together and speak with a clear voice for its collective… pic.twitter.com/HCz9A431Ez
The irony that right when Europe is finally starting to invest properly in its own defence, the US is ensuring that its suppliers can’t be relied upon.
— Baltic Takes (@Baltic_Takes) October 24, 2026
On the latest @ContRiftShow, President @IlvesToomas and Andy Valvur discuss this, and more including Putin’s proposed summit,… pic.twitter.com/YItaM77Y09
It’s staggering that the EU still issues more than half a million visas each year to Russian citizens.
— Baltic Takes (@Baltic_Takes) October 17, 2026
As @IlvesToomas points out on the @ContRiftShow today, it’s Spain, France, and Italy that still issue the vast majority of all those visas and are holding up efforts to… pic.twitter.com/hsxsRDvx3m
President @IlvesToomas explains Germany’s intelligence disaster on the latest episode of the @ContRiftShow, which he hosts with @AndyValvur.
— Baltic Takes (@Baltic_Takes) October 12, 2026
As Ilves notes, the international relationship with Germany’s BND spy agency has been problematic for a while.. ever since Gerhard… pic.twitter.com/Lg08ca905t