Problem is, that rent is part of a broader border treaty where Russia gave up claims on Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. (Crimea was tranferred to Ukraine from Russia by the Soviet (Ukrainian by birth) Premier Krushchov).
jb6,
Your buddy Putie is reneging on a contract with Ukraine today and tomorrow it will be the rest of the west.
Natural Gas, Nerve Gas - its all the same to the Kremlin.
“During the period between 2005 and 2009 the Customer (Gasprom) will sell annually natural gas at the price of 50 US dollars for 1000 cubic meters, which is not subject to change by the parties, from the gas transportation services of Russian natural gas through the territory of Ukraine to ensure the gas balance of Ukraine.”==
I have read that Khrushchev was in fact Russian by birth, but his wife Nina was Ukrainian. She spoke the language fluently and he did not, but he often pretended to be Ukrainian after Stalin put him in charge there. And, as you say, he was responsible for drawing the borders which mixed the Ukrainian population in the west with the Russian population in the east.