Thank you to many of you for joining Olga Lautman and me for our weekly Pax Americana show yesterday. We had a lot to get through — including the militia that Pete Hegseth is set to unleash on American streets, its parallel to the Soviet Union and the Russian co-opt of Germany’s far-right party.
Check it out above and let me know your thoughts in the chat.
Show Notes:
* According to internal Defense Department documents reviewed by The Washington Post, the newly established “quick reaction force” within the Guard must be fully trained, equipped, and ready for deployment by January 1. The 200-person unit will be drawn from specialized National Guard elements traditionally assigned to disaster and counterterrorism response—now repurposed for civil unrest. A parallel structure, the National Guard Reaction Force, is slated to complete its own riot-control training and become fully operational by April 1.
In total, the force will comprise roughly 23,500 troops across all fifty states and three U.S. territories, with most states contributing about 500 personnel.
* Lawmakers accuse AfD of spying on German army on behalf of Russia
Senior German officials say the far-right AfD has been systematically using parliamentary inquiries to gather detailed information on Germany’s military, cyber defenses, and critical infrastructure—information they fear is being funneled to Russia. Defense and intelligence leaders warn that the questions mirror Kremlin interests, with some calling the behavior aligned with “tasks assigned by the Kremlin” and raising the possibility of high treason.
Source: EuroNews
* A new system to identify and take down Russian drones is being deployed to NATO’s eastern flank
NATO has begun deploying the Merops drone-hunting system to Poland and Romania after a surge of Russian drone incursions exposed how easily Moscow could penetrate allied airspace. The AI-guided platform, small enough for a pickup truck, lets NATO shoot down cheap Russian drones without scrambling multimillion-dollar jets.
Source: Associated Press
* Drones spotted over Belgian military base for 3rd night in a row in suspected espionage
Belgian authorities reported drones over the Kleine Brogel Air Base—believed to store U.S. nuclear weapons—for three consecutive nights. Defense Minister Theo Francken said the flights were likely espionage linked to Russia, part of a surge in mysterious drone activity targeting NATO facilities across Europe. Police helicopters failed to intercept the drones.
Source: Kyiv Independent
* Poland will prepare 400,000 volunteers for war by 2027
Poland announced a massive national military-readiness program, “wGotowości,” aiming to train 400,000 citizens by 2027 in skills ranging from basic military training to first aid, survival, and cybersecurity. Framed as a response to the most dangerous security environment since WWII, the initiative accompanies record-high defense spending, rapid army expansion, new fortifications along the Russian and Belarusian borders, and efforts to deepen nuclear and U.S. security guarantees.
Source: TVP
* As U.S. ramps up pressure, Venezuela pleads with Moscow and Beijing for help
As the U.S. escalates its military presence in the Caribbean, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has quietly appealed to Russia, China, and Iran for urgent military aid—including missiles, radars, aircraft repairs, and long-range drones—according to leaked U.S. documents. Maduro framed U.S. pressure as a shared ideological threat and asked Moscow for financing and upgraded air defenses, while also coordinating Iranian drone shipments and requesting expedited Chinese radar systems.
* After Caracas stop, mysterious Russian plane flew to Cuba, Nicaragua
A Russian Il-76 cargo plane linked to sanctioned military transport networks made a discreet multi-country tour through Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua before returning to Russia, mirroring a similar circuit in August. The stops, across regimes aligned with Moscow and occurring as U.S.–Venezuela tensions spike, fuel suspicion that Russia is moving military equipment or supplies through Latin America while using circuitous routes to evade detection and sanctions.
Source: Defense News
* FBI Statement on Bomb Threats to Polling Locations
The FBI confirmed that multiple polling locations across several states received bomb threats sent from Russian email domains, triggering temporary shutdowns and evacuations at more than two dozen sites — including at least seven counties in New Jersey alone. None of the threats were deemed credible, and the bureau said it is working with state and local authorities.
* Putin sent Lavrov into disgrace after the collapse of the summit with Trump
Sergey Lavrov has reportedly fallen into disgrace after a failed call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio derailed the planned Putin-Trump summit in Budapest. Lavrov was the only permanent Security Council member absent from a major Kremlin meeting, lost his role as head of Russia’s G20 delegation, and is being quietly sidelined after U.S. sanctions followed the summit collapse and Moscow’s refusal to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire.
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