America is letting them down the drain? Either nothing or part of the territory

"It is true that we could deny aid to Ukraine. We could say: You will not get anything else unless you agree that Russia will get some percentage of your territory," Jake Sullivan said in an interview with the "New York Times".

At the same time, Sullivan stressed that the White House does not want to do that.

"I don't think the United States should be telling Ukraine: You just have to give up. We will finish unless you surrender. I believe this is an inappropriate use of American influence," the official added.

This is not the first time that US and European officials have suggested that it may be time for Ukraine to give up part of its territory in exchange for a ceasefire.

In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented initiatives for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

"Moscow would immediately cease fire and declare that it is ready for negotiations if, among other things, the Kyiv authorities officially give up their intention to join the North Atlantic Alliance," Putin said.

Ukraine's military is already struggling with manpower shortages and an uncertain future supply of weapons and aid from the US and other allies as it struggles to halt the advance of Russian forces in the east.

In Kursk, Ukrainian forces also faced about 12,000 North Korean troops who had reinforced Russian forces.

With Moscow's increased efforts to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk, they may only be able to hold the territories until spring before being forced to withdraw, according to US officials who did not want to be named.

Assistant to the President of Russia Nikolai Patrushev said today that he does not rule out the possibility that Ukraine will cease to exist as a state as early as 2025.

"It is especially worrying that the violent application of neo-Nazi ideology and fiery Russophobia are destroying the once prosperous cities of Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk. It is possible that in the next year Ukraine will completely cease to exist," said Patrushev in an interview with the newspaper " Komsomol justice".