As a Ukrainian, it's not "the Ukraine" any more than America is "the America"
I don't know why people started calling it that, but people of that nation find it weird and slightly degrading.
Also, totally agree about their comparatively shitty quality of medicine, life, crime, corruption etc.
I think it's because a lot of us grew up during the cold war when former soviet block borders were about as steady as a five year old's handwriting. They shouldn't take it personally.