Because of its long historical ties to Moscow, Ukraine is probably the country that has been most affected by Russia politically.

In Yanukovych's first bid for the Ukrainian presidency, in 2004, his most influential advisers were Russian. President Vladimir Putin openly backed his candidacy. Ironically, Yanukovych hired Manafort exactly because his Russian advisers had failed to get him elected that time.

Taras Chornovil, a former Yanukovych confidant, says he clashed with Manafort over strategy in the 2006 parliamentary elections.

"I didn't see any ideology in him," said Chornovil. But he says he found it "suspicious" that Manafort pushed a message favoring closer alignment with Russia and opposing Ukraine joining NATO.

Andriy Yermolayev, a former Yanukovych adviser who met Manafort regularly over coffee, remembers the American consultant completely differently.

"I absolutely don't agree withthe way Manafort is characterized," he said, "because he had his principles and supported a pro-Western course for Ukraine." Manafort was "disappointed" with Yanukovych's fateful decision not to sign the EU agreement in November 2013, according to Yermolayev.

Manafort's defenders in Ukraine say he has been caught in a web of political intrigue that stretches to America.