SG

A couple of things at play from my studies but your assumption is partially right. Several Slavic tribes in Ukraine are considered the birth place of Russia. Kiev was the Capitol of Russia before Moscow. Crimean's consider themselves Russian. Lastly people in Ukraine that were old enough to have lived before the peak of the USSR tend towards the Russians. The younger people want to be more European. Pretty much a divided pie. Much like Iraq and Afghanistan, makes them natural places for the big bullies to make the locals lives miserable. The US and its allies went on and played their cards after weird Al Yankovich sided with Vlad economically.