EU's Kallas says Washington 'biggest ally' despite US security downgrade

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said the United States remains Europe's "biggest ally" despite stinging criticism of the continent in a major strategy document amid ongoing ceasefire talks on the Ukraine war, Report informs via Al Jazeera.

Speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Saturday, Kallas said some of the US National Security Strategy's criticism of Europe, which included charges of lacking in "self-confidence" and facing "civilizational erasure", a widely dismissed claim, were true, but insisted the EU and US should "stick together".

"I think we haven't always seen eye to eye on different topics, but I think the overall principle is still there. We are the biggest allies," she said, adding that the goal of the US should be to help Europe "correct its current trajectory".

Referring to previous US pressure applied on Kyiv to cede to Russian demands, Kallas told the Doha Forum that placing "limitations and stress on Ukraine actually does not bring us long-lasting peace".

"If aggression is rewarded, we will see it happen again, and not only in Ukraine or Gaza, but all around the world," she said.

Kallas said that Europe, which is nervous of a spillover from the war, had been "underestimating its own power".

"Towards Russia, for example… we should be more self-confident," she said.