So what did the US actually exploit in order to gain temporary dominance of Ukraine politics, what was really the core of the dispute, that was exaggerated and inflamed for coup purposes.
A centuries old dispute between Russian Don Cossacks and Ukrainian Zaporozhian Cossacks. One that was fully expressed in the second world war with the Zaporozhian Cossacks fighting for the Germans and the Don Cossacks fighting for the Russians, a war which enabled them to fight their blood feuds.
Kohkhols, as named after their haircuts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khokhol, does not happen over night but is one reinforced by centuries of conflict. The US basically bought redneckistan for five billion dollars, who got the money we don’t really know but we know Russia who could have prevented it from happening, did very little to stop it, Russia is huge and apart from the Crimea, the Ukraine offered nothing but an ever increasing debt.