it wasn't a military alliance like NATO. The Orange Coalition collapsed and Yanukovych ( as president) tried to repair Uk. Russian ties.
Look what European Council on Foreign Relation says - this is a pro west organization:
Andrew Wilson, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Yanukovych was trying to balance Ukraine's interests with Europe and Russia. "Yanukovych is dealing with the new geography of the region. The US may not have changed its politics but it has downgraded Europe in its priorities. At the same time he wants a better personal relationship with Russia's leaders and with Putin. Things have been seriously bad since the incident in 2004 when Yanukovych offered Putin a sweet. "
Under Yushchenko, relations between Moscow and Kiev grew so acrimonious that Medvedev memorably described Yushchenko as a "political corpse". He refused last year to send an ambassador to Ukraine until Yushchenko, a harsh critic of the Kremlin who sought to leave Russia's sphere of influence, was out of office.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/05/ukraine-russia-relations-viktor-yanukovych
you don't understand there are 2 main factions in Ukrainian politics -east and Kyiv.
we supported Kyiv SIMPLY BECAUSE of US-Russian superpower confrontation.
and it was NOT "diplomatic. We targeted USAID money towards the Kyiv factions.
In essence we meddled in Uk politics for no reason then to screw with Putin - no noble goals.
there wasn't any threats. the Annexation was done as a reaction
"little green men" simply swarmed the penninsula,and not a shot fired
It was a legitimate payment for Sevastopol's lease -Yanokovitych acted as president of Ukraine to sign it.
Putin had no choice but to secure access to Sevastopol.
Viktor Yanukovych promises Ukraine will embrace Russia
New president's inaugural Moscow visit appears to usher in new era between countries
Yanukovych's trip followed a visit on Monday to Brussels. He appears to be engaged in a delicate diplomatic balancing act between Ukraine's giant western and eastern neighbours. Asked why he had gone to see the EU first, Yanukovych declared simply that the Europeans had invited him earlier...
But the outlines of a new Russia-friendly Ukraine were clear – with Yanukovych indicating he is ready to renew the lease on Russia's Black Sea fleet, which expires in 2017, whereas Yushchenko had pledged to evict the Russians from their base in the historic Crimean port of Sevastopol.
He gave assurances that Ukraine was not contemplating joining Nato, a step that Russia regards as unacceptable. Asked whether Nato membership was still on the cards, Yanukovych said Ukraine would work with Nato but not join it. "Ukraine is a non-bloc European country," he said.
The two sides discussed Ukraine's large gas bill. Yanukovych promised during his election campaign to renegotiate a controversial gas deal signed by Putin and Tymoshenko last year. He wants to reduce the price paid by Kiev from $305 to $205-$210 per thousand cubic metres. It remains unclear how much the Kremlin is willing to co-operate.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/05/ukraine-russia-relations-viktor-yanukovych
Very good. I didn't even see Putin's lips move.
Lessee. Your deflection quoting of Wilson in no way supports Putin imperialism nor disputes that Yanukovych was a corrupt Russian puppet. In fact, it shows that Putin's Medved puppet was quick to turn hostile to Ukrainian independence. Your claim of east and west factions in the Ukraine is either ignorant or deliberately dishonest. The "factions" are Ukrainians vs. many ethnic Russians in the east. Pretending USAID funding of an independent media in the Ukraine is equivalent to Putin dominating the government and the will of Ukrainians with a stunningly corrupt puppet is the kind of no-pride propaganda one expects from a Putin bot. I notice that you simple ignore and dismiss Yanukovych's corruption in your apologia for militaristic imperialism. Claiming Putin had no choice but to seize Sevastopol out of a need to protect its imperialism is not only immoral but contrary to fact. Independent Ukraine did nothing to threaten the Russian base. I don't believe you can back up your claim to the contrary. And, even if you could, the US lost a crucial base in the Philippines. We did not invade the Philippines to get it back. And, again, justifying an invasion because you don't like what a sovereign nation might do with its foreign relations may go over with fascists or Putin propagandists, but should not resonate among anyone claiming American patriotism.