Forgive my ignorance but what is it that putin wants from ukraine ?
Its obviously for real estate. I think i read somewhere there was a major source of energy or something on the border or was it just a military base that they were more or less renting ?
It's in the history.
It was the capital of first Slavic federation between 882–1283.
They go back a long way together Russia, Ukraine and Belarus
I did a wiki and this may help get you started.
"The Claw " having lived there for a few years would be able to give us some more background but he hasn't posted since the end of the last season.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kievan_Rus%27