Erdogan presented pistols to European leaders after the NATO summit

Engraved pistols and live ammunition were presented to the European leaders attending the NATO summit in Ankara as a parting gift. This was reported by Politico on July 9.

The weapons were presented to President of the European Council Antonio Costa and Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, as well as to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Dutch counterpart Rob Yetten by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The publication notes that the security service team of the head of the European Council took the weapon for inspection. According to European officials, the pistols do not meet the strict requirements in force in Belgium; it is unlikely that Costa and von der Leyen will keep them personally.

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The participants of the NATO summit on July 8, in a joint statement following the Ankara summit, said they were fulfilling all their defense obligations to counter the "long-term threat" that Russia allegedly poses to them. It is noted that in 2025, allies from Europe and Canada increased investments in defense by more than $ 139 billion. The summit participants also announced new purchases worth more than $50 billion and committed to expanding common production capacities and working with industry to accelerate innovation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an article for Politico Europe on June 19, noted that a clash between NATO and Russia could lead to catastrophic consequences. According to him, Europe's course towards confrontation with the Russian Federation and further expansion carries serious risks to global security.