It was when Ukraine was seeking loans but Yanukovych didn’t reject to ratify the EU bill because of the IMF.

Yes he was delaying ratification over obvious anger, and poor electoral math, surrounding austerity demands.

between closer ties to the EU or a gay hating, poverty stricken state run by robber barons and oligarchs, Ukrainians might have preferred the EU?

Yes. Manufacturing liberalism is easy because liberal freedoms are humanist. Good and smart people can want liberalism and trade diversification. Does the US empire spend $5B on an operation to increase but fucking, and enabling you to marry your buttfucker? No. The CIA creates division in nations purely to diminish enemies it needs as a demonic evil entity that needs enemies to justify budget, and needs corrupt CIA allegiant puppetry everywhere for championing US oligarchy dominance. Ukraine nazification and war path to current "diminish Russia to the last Ukrainian policy" was set with the 2014 coup.

I am entrenched in the pure demonic evil of US empire propaganda, and the evil in the lost souls who tolerate, accept and normalize its demonism. More importantly, your delusional propaganda denials does not impact Russia, and Russians, understanding of reality and understanding its imperative defense from demonic empire actions.