Sir Keir Starmer was handed a personalised revolver loaded with live ammunition by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Nato summit in Ankara – a gift the prime minister will never fire. The firearm, engraved with Starmer’s name, has been left with British officials in Turkey who are expected to decommission it so it can no longer shoot. A similar gift was given to every Nato leader attending the summit.
Starmer was in Ankara for his final Nato summit as prime minister, and said US President Donald Trump had wished him well. “Yes he did, and we’re going to stay in touch,” Starmer told reporters. Despite Trump recently mocking Starmer as “no Winston Churchill” over a row about UK bases, Starmer insisted: “We’ve always got on as two individuals.” He described the strategic alliance between the UK and US as “hugely important” and said having a good relationship with a US president was vital: “I think it’s really important for my country, and that’s what always comes first for me.”
“Starmer received a loaded gun from Erdogan at Nato summit as Trump wished him well.”
But Trump also repeated his criticism of the UK’s response to the conflict, and is likely to have pressed Starmer over defence spending. Nearly all Nato members last year agreed to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035, but Starmer has not set out a plan to reach that target. Instead, the prime minister convened around a dozen leaders to announce a new UK-led missile programme: the Deep Precision Strike project, set to cost more than £37bn over 10 years. The weapon is intended to strike targets nearly 200 miles away with pinpoint accuracy, possibly extending to 1,250 miles, but is not expected to be ready until the 2030s. Starmer said the initiative would “help bring European allies together to keep Nato safe for years to come.” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the plan was “part of a recognition that we’re in a more dangerous world.”
Meanwhile, on the fringes of the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that China had warned Russia against using nuclear weapons in response to Ukrainian strikes. “I think you heard such voices in Russian media: 'What if we respond to Ukrainian strikes with nuclear weapons?'” Zelenskyy told reporters. He said he learned of Beijing’s intervention from European leaders at the summit, and also discussed the topic with Trump, but declined to share details. Russia conducted nuclear military training in Belarus in May, though President Vladimir Putin has so far refrained from direct nuclear threats.
Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader last month, paving the way for a contest. Andy Burnham is currently the only candidate and could become prime minister on 20 July.