The asking part is just to rub your face in the situation, like a mafia is going through the "courtesy" of asking you for next months fee to continue to protect your gas stations.

The unspoken part is the "or else..." which should follow their asking for more money and goods.

In what kind of FU situation has the US wormed itself this time to be the supplying bitch of formerly meaningless countries?

Not to win a war, that is just to keep the minions busy...