Yes Ukraine the "weapons platform" that has to beg to be supplied ammunition. I will say that Western countries have used the Ukraine war as a testing field for modern weapon systems. However, I will laugh in your face if you tell me with any hint of seriousness you believe it's a US pawn. Ukraine is a European wildcard that rembers and resents the Russian Empire and is only allied with Nato for ammo and logistical support. It's not a secret that Nato is not friendly to Russia and wants to balkanize it, however Nato would never have had the balls to ever attack or threaten Russia. The reason Nato wants to balkanize Russia is that it keeps attacking neighbors and engaging in covert actions against western countries. If Russia had actually worked towards developing itself and it's European connections in the 1990s and 2000s it would be in a far better place. Rember that the USSR didn't collapse its states willingly dissolved it as soon as they had a chance to slip the collar of Moscow.
Russia rich in resources but destitute for leadership.
If you want I can steer you towards a very nice video essay series that goes over some of this with its sources cited that can help you branch off further