Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

Washington has been Kiev's main "financial supporter" in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, it continues to shift some of the bloodiest "costs" of war to Ukraine itself.

According to a Washington Post report on Sunday, a senior US official stated, "Even with the money, even with the munitions, there have to be people on the front lines to deal with the Russian aggression." Clearly, he was emphasizing the need for Ukraine to deploy more soldiers.

The report reveals a harsh fact for the Ukrainian people, especially the youth: under US' pressure, Kiev had begun to think about lowering the conscription age from 25 to 18.

As the war in Ukraine continues and enters the phase of attrition, differences between Ukraine and the US over aid priorities have increased.

Kiev wants as much military aid as possible to turn the war back around quickly, seeing a lack of weapons supplies as the main challenge. On the other hand, Washington has emphasized the need for Ukraine to mobilize more of its population to maintain the status quo on the frontline and deal with the possibility of a prolonged war.

On top of this, the Ukrainian government is worried about the public opposition that lowering the conscription age might generate in Ukraine and what challenges such a decision might pose to post-war reconstruction and its demography, none of which are on the US radar.

These contradictions add to the challenges of strategic synergy between the two sides over the Ukraine conflict.

When more young Ukrainian lives face the possibility of being forced onto the battlefield, hope might be lost not only for peace, but also for Ukraine. If more young Ukrainians are forced to go to war, it will be devastating for the country as populations from 18 to 25 are the backbone of Ukraine's development. In that case, regardless of the outcome of the war, Ukraine is much more unlikely to see a "quick rebound" after the fighting war.

Under the Joe Biden administration's consistent push for Ukraine aid, Washington is the biggest "wealthy patron" for Kiev - just on Saturday, the US announced a new $988 million military aid package for Ukraine.

This actually aims to throw a wrench into the incoming Donald Trump administration's plan on Ukraine, which has been taking the opposite position of reducing aid to Kiev. As the Biden administration deepens US involvement in the Ukraine war through military aid, the Trump administration, if it pushes for an immediate cease-fire after taking office, could be on the horns of a dilemma and accused of being too oblivious to Ukrainian interests as well as letting its guard down against Russia.

At the same time, the Biden administration's non-stop aid has also hijacked Ukraine to invest more resources in the conflict to match Washington's investment.

In other words, instead of calling for peace, how to guarantee the planned effects of its "inputs" in the war and expand the "input-output ratio" has always been the purpose of the US regarding the Ukraine crisis.

US politicians don't care how many people die in Ukraine, nor do they care what kind of future Ukraine has, or if it has one.

Those young Ukrainians who may be sent to war may never realize the harsh reality that they have been forced to become cat's paws for the US to achieve its strategic goals. It would become a horrible tragedy for the world and especially Ukraine if they eventually turn out to be nothing more than US cannon fodder.