All while Russia sent an liaison officer who convinced Yanuk the proper course of action is to gun down some of them uppity peasants.

The recorded conversation was actually about convincing the opposition to take Yanuk's compromise offer (he offered Yats becomes PM), against EU hard line ("fuck the EU!"). The opposition refused to listen to the Americans and rejected that "poisoned deal", to quote Yats at the time.

The Americans had a soft spot for Yanuk and the conflict was over EU-Ukraine relationship. The opposition was naturally especially supported by Poland, just like Belarusian today (including Belarusian political exiles and refugees being trained here for a rebel army, for now fighting just in Ukraine - and some of these guys are N-words but these ones get their training rather from Azov or RS).