Ukraine didn't have Russian troops occupying anything but the leased Crimean bases before the war started (and I do count the start of the war as being immediately after Euromaidan)... Yet in 2013, it was the second poorest country in Europe. (Ahead of Moldova, which has been occupied for decades, but significantly behind Belarus and Bulgaria)
They didn't need troops till Maidan. They had the government already.
> Ukraine didn't have Russian troops occupying anything but the leased Crimean bases before the war started
Do you seriously believe Russians would leave Crimea if Ukrainians didn’t renew the lease?