Why is Ukraine so important to Russia?

Answer 1

Mainly for two reasons: 1) Ukraine is the capital of the ancestral part of the Kieven Rus Empire of 1000 yrs ago before the Mongolian Asiatic horde invaded and threw the entire Rus Empire into divided sates of Muscovy, Byelo-Rus and Ukraina. Many Moscovite ppl have a strong sentimental attachment to Ukraina as being the origins of the Russian Orthodox Religion that was brought over to the Rus Empire from the Byzantium Empire by St.Cyril & St. Methododius.

2) Ukraina was always known as the bread basket of Europe for it's fertile grounds for growing vegetables and grains while Northern Moscovy was always a cold and barren land that needed Ukraina for survival. Ukraina also was rich in other mineral deposits and energy sources. But, I do not know how true that is today since the Moscovites under the Soviet banner have raped and pilaged Ukraina for 100 yrs now.

Focusing on modern day, Moscovites want Ukraina to be joined with them and Byelo-Rus for the return of the glorious Rus empire, just for sentmental reasons and because energy pipelines run through Ukraina into Europe - it's all economics for the Moscovite Oligarchs and the Bratva Cartel.