Brussels, Feb 13 /Agerpres/ - ''Europe needs to be around the table'' for peace negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, told the European Newsroom (enr) in an interview on Wednesday.

The former Estonian prime minister stressed that the outcome of the war on the EU's eastern flank 'will also very much influence what is happening in Europe'. According to her, a deal will not be possible without Europeans and Ukrainians.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of Ukraine becoming 'Russian someday', repeating that he wants an agreement with Ukraine to gain access to the country's rare earth deposits as a condition for continuing Washington's support for Kyiv.

Kallas added that Russia currently does not show a genuine willingness for a peaceful resolution.

Kallas commented on the EU's relations with the new US administration in Washington, highlighting the importance of strengthening transatlantic ties and Europe's role in global security issues. ''It is important that the US remains our closest ally,'' she said.

According to the EU foreign policy chief , the strength of the EU is that ''we are the predictable and reliable partner''.

Ukraine has relied on financial and arms aid from Western allies since Russia invaded the country on February 24, 2022. Kyiv's allies have also enacted sanctions against key sectors of the Russian economy to try to reduce Moscow's ability to finance the war effort in Ukraine.

The almost three-year conflict has caused the destruction of important infrastructure in various areas of Ukraine, as well as an undetermined number of civilian and military casualties.

Speaking in Brussels also on Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that it was ''unrealistic'' for Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders, when Russia first began to occupy its territories. Likewise, he downplayed the prospect of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a 32-nation strong military alliance.

The comments came as Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a ''lengthy and highly productive'' phone call, in which they agreed for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine to begin ''immediately.''

Kallas said that the European Union must also participate in talks on the future of Gaza, where a ceasefire between the terrorist group Hamas and Israel is currently in place. She rejected Trump's idea of turning Gaza into a ''Riviera of the Middle East'' and relocating Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt.

Rejecting Trump's statements, Kallas argued that ''people can't be moved by force and any land grab would be illegal''. She added that Gaza 'must never become a terrorist haven again'.

Ethnic cleansing, understood as the forced expulsion of an ethnic group from a territory, is a crime against humanity and can be considered a crime of genocide, according to the United Nations (UN).

The Arab League, made up of 22 states, has also dismissed Trump's plans, insisting on the need to implement a two-state solution which stipulates the creation of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the occupied West Bank alongside the Israeli state.

The ''European Union is supporting the two-state solution,'' Kallas said. ''Of course, the Israelis are worried about their security, but without the Palestinians having their rights respected there wouldn't be any security for Israel either,'' she added, stressing that Gaza was an integral part of the future Palestinian state as well.

The Arab League, made up of 22 states, has also dismissed Trump's plans, insisting on the need to implement a two-state solution which stipulates the creation of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the occupied West Bank alongside the Israeli state.

The ''European Union is supporting the two-state solution,'' Kallas said. ''Of course, the Israelis are worried about their security, but without the Palestinians having their rights respected there wouldn't be any security for Israel either,'' she added, stressing that Gaza was an integral part of the future Palestinian state as well.

After taking office last month, Trump decided to freeze funds for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which led to demands that the EU step in instead.

Asked whether the EU could step in and fill the gap after the United States decided to suspend development aid, Kallas said the EU is not 'automatically filling the void with European money because first, we don't have those funds, and second, I think it's also the opportunity for us to grow our geopolitical power,'' she told the enr.

Kallas complained that the EU currently supports many organisations with substantial funds but is scarcely visible. She said the current situation was an opportunity to make the European flag more visible and to show people where the support truly comes from.

She cited the Palestinian Authority and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as examples.

According to figures from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2023, the US was the world's largest single provider of public development aid, amounting to nearly 65 billion Dollar (62.5 billion Euro).

However, collectively, the EU and its member states reached nearly 96 billion Euro (100 billion Dollar) in the same period. Germany contributed around 34 billion Euro, according to EU data.

The content of this article is based on reporting by Agerpres, AMNA, ANSA, CTK, dpa, EFE, FENA, HINA, Lusa, Tanjug, TT, as part of the European Newsroom (enr) project. AGERPRES (editing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)