No Ukraine - no problem. The new "clever" tactic Putin

Russia (on her knees): Oh, do not repent! You must be mine. Ukraine: Whose neither be, but not yours. Russia (passionate): Not mine? Ukraine: Never! Russia: It does not get you to anybody! (To shoot her with a pistol.)

(Based on the play by Ostrovsky "Bride")

Probably, the main historical mistake of Russian policy towards Ukraine over the past 20 years was to blackmail and threats to force her to remain in the field of influence, rather than to promote her "pro-Russian". Ukrainian vector was based on the principle of "nowhere, they will not get from us." Russia subsidized the Ukrainian economy, low gas prices, it bribed government loans and create attractive trap of corruption complicated schemes of gas supplies, seduced tripartite gas consortium and the Customs Union, blackmailing trade wars and the collapse of the budget.