The former Ukrainian leader, Yulia Tymoshenko has made several alarming remarks in an audio tape leaked to Russia Today. It is assumed that the recording was made by the Russian security services.
In the recording of a phone conversation with Nestor Shufrych, former eputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Tymoshenko says, "I'm ready to grab a machine gun and shoot that m*********** in the head," although the exact identity of her victim is unknown.
Describing the situation in Ukraine as "beyond all boundaries" the possible candidate in the Ukrainian presidential elections continues, "It's about time we grab our guns and go kill those damned Russians together with their leader."
She then adds, "I regret that I cannot be there right now and that I wasn't in charge of the process. There would be no f****** way that they would get Crimea then."
Shufrych agrees that if she was there "it would not have happened" but mentions that they didn't have the forces available.
Sounding more like a mafia godfather than a former head of state, Tymoshenko interrupts to say, "I would have found a way to kill those a*******. I hope I will be able to get all my connections involved."
she continues, "And I will use all of my means to make the entire world rise up, so that there wouldn't be even a scorched field left in Russia."
When the issue of 8 million Russians in Ukraine, Tymonshenko suggests, "They must be killed with nuclear weapons."
Admitting the authenticity of the recording, Tymoshenko only takes issue with this last line, saying on Twitter, "The conversation took place, but the '8 million Russians in Ukraine' piece is an edit. In fact, I said Russians in Ukraine – are Ukrainians. Hello FSB :) Sorry for the obscene language.”
The two then say that their next step is to take action in the International Criminal Court.
According to korrespondent.net, Shufrych's office issued a flat denial saying, "The conversation didn't take place."
The events in Ukraine have been occasionally illustrated by such leaks, which seem to suggest that whilst the US NSA is under heavy scrutiny there is none on other norotious security agencies.
It is suggested that the leak helps the Russian cause by showing the Ukrainian leadership to be somewhat out of control and having violent and extreme thoughts.
In reality, the tape may help end Tymoshenko's ambitions of running for the Ukrainian Presidency.
While there was considerable sympathy for her release from imprisonment, after charges of abusing her power during a controversial Russian gas deal, there is less support for her to run in the 25 May Presidential elections as there is concern over some of her dealings and that she is a divisive figure and many in Europe feel that a less controversial figure is needed to reunify the nation.
The FSB may have just done Ukraine an unwitting favour.