Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

US President Joe Biden is expected to announce in the following days another round of military support to Ukraine, worth $800 million, Reuters reported on Tuesday. This would bring total US military aid to Ukraine since late February to well over $3 billion, Reuters said. On the same day, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the US and Western countries it controls are doing everything to drag out Russia's operation as much as possible with "intentions to provoke the Kiev regime to fight to the last Ukrainian." 

Also on Tuesday, CNN cited defense officials and sources familiar with US intelligence as saying that the US doesn't really know what happens to the weapons sent to Ukraine: whether they are armed as the US intended or whether the shipments ultimately end up in unexpected places. This being the case, though, the US is still working to enhance its military aid to Ukraine. 

This shows Washington's desire to prolong the war to ensure Russia is damaged enough. It wants to ensure Ukrainian troops have weapons to hold Russia so that there is no room for peace talks. Observers said this is why the Biden administration would announce another large military package in such a short time.

Offering a large package can help military-industrial companies make huge amounts of money, which will come from the US' defense budget. Making a colossal proposal can show a gesture of "solid" commitment to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while pressuring US allies to fan more flames. Both Britain and Canada have vowed to send more military aid to Ukraine. 

The war has lasted more than 50 days. The US said it has no plans to send troops to fight a war with Russia. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, the losses of Ukraine's combat forces have totaled 23,367 as of Saturday. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has already turned into a proxy war, with the US and Western countries providing weapons and Ukraine offering manpower. In the history of proxy wars waged by the US, there was no country that had not suffered a tragic fate being a proxy, but the US has always turned a blind eye and covered up all these sufferings in the name of freedom and democracy.

By saying the US intends to provoke Kiev to fight to the last, Russia pointed out that the US aims to consume Russia's strength without considering any of Ukraine's interests. In the eyes of Washington, Ukraine will only thoroughly realize its usefulness when its power is totally exhausted. The Russian defense minister was to some extent reminding the Ukrainian people to recognize the true face of the US and its Western allies, and that they should have a certain degree of autonomy in the choice of foreign and security policies when it comes to the fate of their country.

On Shoigu's remarks, some Chinese netizens commented that "the US is engaging in a disguised attempt to commit genocide in Ukraine." 

The US, which has been escalating the Ukraine crisis from behind the curtain, must keep in mind the heavy toll on Ukrainians: five million refugees have fled Ukraine while some 12 million people are thought to be stranded or unable to leave areas affected by the fighting. That is nearly 40 percent of the Ukrainian population. The humanitarian disaster in Ukraine has added new pressure to the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. 

Nevertheless, the US has proved that it is not interested in peace talks. The meeting of G20 finance ministers is scheduled on Wednesday in Washington where Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov would be present virtually. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will be trying to avoid most contacts with Russian officials and use the meetings through Friday to work with allies on efforts to increase economic pressure on Russia.

G20 meetings are a benign platform to increase talks between countries. But the US plans to turn it into another arena against Russia. Creating division and confrontation on such an international occasion will do nothing to ease the Ukraine crisis. For its own gain, the US has constantly provoked Russia and instigated Ukraine, making the crisis even more difficult to manage. The goal of the US is to better control Europe, contain Russia and smear China. Without peaceful dialogues, the current military conflict will only continue. All these confirm again that the US is a troublemaker and the initiator of wars and chaos.