S9 Ep43: Espresso Martini | Hegseth on the Ropes, Putin’s Diplomat Spy, and Listener Questions

This week, Chris and Matt unpack the deepening chaos at the
Pentagon as Pete Hegseth’s tenure as secretary of defense
continues to spiral. From more leaked strike plans on Signal to
staff purges and his wife sitting in on sensitive meetings, the
dysfunction is reaching new lows. Then, a little-known Russian
spymaster emerges as a key player in Ukraine peace talks, just as
far-right ideologues inside Russia insist on total victory at any
cost. Plus, listener questions on Europe’s military independence,
Bulgaria’s role in Russian espionage, and the EU’s Orbán
problem.

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Articles discussed in today’s episode

"Info Hegseth shared with wife and brother came from top
general's secure messages" by Courtney Kube & Gordon Lubold |
NBC News:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/info-pete-hegseth-shared-wife-brother-came-top-generals-secure-message-rcna198838


"Under Hegseth, Chaos Prevails at the Pentagon" by Greg Jaffe
& Helene Cooper | The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/us/politics/hegseth-chaos-pentagon.html


"The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense
secretary" by Tom Bowman & Quil Lawrence | NPR:
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-5371312/trump-white-house-pete-hegseth-defense-department


"Hegseth Said to Have Shared Attack Details in Second Signal
Chat" by Greg Jaffe, Eric Schmitt & Maggie Haberman | The New
York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/20/us/politics/hegseth-yemen-attack-second-signal-chat.html


"Two top Pentagon officials placed on leave in leak probe" by
Daniel Lippman & Jack Detsch | Politico:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/15/caldwell-pentagon-leaks-00291735


"Real reason Pete Hegseth's wife Jennifer Rauchet won't let him
out of her sight …and the secret nickname she has earned from
Pentagon staffers" by Susan Greene | Daily Mail:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14636555/pete-hegseth-wife-jennifer-rauchet-pentagon-secret-nickname-staffers.html


"Who is Sergey Beseda, Russian spy handler leading talks with
US?" by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent:
https://kyivindependent.com/sergey-beseda-russias-negotiator-in-saudi-arabia-and-his-role-in-ukraines-war/


"The Russian Nationalists Pushing for Ukraine’s Destruction" by
Giovanni Pigni | New Lines Magazine:
https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/the-russian-nationalists-pushing-for-victory-in-ukraine/


"Sweden’s Bigger Badder Gripen Fighter Packs A Lot Of Punch In An
Incredibly Efficient Package" by Jamie Hunter | The War Zone:
https://www.twz.com/39081/swedens-bigger-badder-gripen-fighter-packs-a-lot-of-punch-in-an-incredibly-efficient-package


"Escalating Trade War Raises Questions Over Canada’s F-35 Future"
by Thomas Newdick | The War Zone:
https://www.twz.com/air/escalating-trade-war-raises-questions-over-canadas-f-35-future


"A Weak Link in NATO? Bulgaria, Russia, and the Lure of
Espionage" by Mark Kramer | Davis Center for Russian &
Eurasian Studies:
https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/weak-link-nato-bulgaria-russia-and-lure-espionage


Thanks for listener questions from Julie, Sam, and Richard!

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Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence,
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way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris
Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events
through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring
expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts.