"This doesn't go well for Ukraine over time without a supplemental, and it could lead to potential collapse," the official was quoted by the newspaper as saying. "But here's the bottom line: Even if Ukraine holds on, what we really are saying is that we are going to leverage countless lives in order to do that."
US officials said that if American funding to Kiev was permanently cut off, the outcome of the crisis would depend on Ukraine's ability to mobilize new forces, the success of Western training initiatives and the morale of the military, among other factors.
On Thursday, US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said he had discussed with other lawmakers the possibility of aiding Ukraine through loans, adding that this idea could prove popular.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. According to him, the US and NATO are directly involved in the Ukraine conflict by supplying weapons and training soldiers in the UK, Germany, Italy and other countries.