"US, EU staged classic regime change in Ukraine."

[dipsydoodle]

42. Ukraine may have needed those funds at that time

and had few if any other alternatives. They didn't exactly give it the new lease for the naval base away.

From April 2010 :

The price for the lease of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's naval base in Ukraine is overvalued, but Moscow agreed to it for the benefit of raising cooperation and trust with Kiev, the Russian prime minister said.

The deal, signed by the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on April 21, extends the lease on the Russian base in the Ukranian port of Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017, and may be further extended by another five years. In exchange, Ukraine is to recieve a 30% discount on Russian natural gas supplies.

"The price asked for [the lease of the base] is out-of-limits," Vladimir Putin, who is currently in Ukraine on an official visit, said.

"But for us [Russia] this issue is not only a matter of money, but a matter of cooperation with Ukraine, cooperation in the military sector, which undoubtedly raises the level of trust and possibilities for credible work in economic and social sectors. This is most important," Putin said.

The Russian prime minister reiterated that under the signed agreement on the lease of the base Russia would pay over $40 billion over ten years.

http://en.ria.ru/world/20100427/158760129.html

It was if nothing else a source of funds for Ukraine who remain in dire need.

See -

Ukraine needs money, and fast - in weeks, not months. But bailing out the country of 46 million people will not be a matter of simply writing a big check.

For one, Ukraine has already burned the main international financial rescuer, the International Monetary Fund, by failing to keep to the terms of earlier bailouts from 2008 and 2010.

Now it needs help again, and its economic and financial problems are worse than before.

The currency is sliding, raising concerns that companies that owe money in foreign currency could go bust. Banks are fragile. A rescue with outside lenders can't be agreed until there's a government. And Russia could make things worse by demanding on-time payment for natural gas supplies or withdrawing a recently granted break on the price.

- See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/how-and-from-where-will-ukraine-get-its-money/article1-1188238.aspx#sthash.OrVoHBB9.dpuf

A key element there is the manner in which gas is paid for. It alludes to payment in advance as opposed to the current situation of heavily in arrears - was $3.3 billion unpaid Feb. 3rd. Not sure what you mean about Russia fostering gas dependency : there is no other practical supply.

Ukraine Has $3.3Bln Unpaid Gas Bill – Gazprom http://en.ria.ru/russia/20140203/187164045/Ukraines-Gas-Debt-to-Russia-Rising--Report.html