Russia had to be kept busy, therefore Ukraine proxy war
Also, Syria being in that list is silly. The Syrian opposition aren't vassals of the US. The US was never too keen to help them.
Your opinion on Russia/Ukraine is clearly skewed by NATO propaganda, which I wouldn't blame you for, most people have had their minds colonized by NATO propaganda, after all, NATO has a literal newsletter called "Cognitive Warfare" where they candidly brag about it.
What's more, Ukraine was nowhere near joining NATO, and in any case Russia's invasion would still have been illegal and reprehensible even if it was.