This is being civilized? What a model.
The Ukrainians do not want closer ties to Russia.
They have done very well since partition (yes they are dealing with a lot of issues but still). Russia is not reliable and could very well renege on the gas deal over some minor detail.
Also there are people alive who remember Stalin's great famine "The Holodomor" which caused death by starvation of 10 million Ukrainians.