On December 2, the Security Service of Ukraine announced that it had appealed to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to cancel the permission for the departure of People’s Deputy and ex-President Petro Poroshenko due to a planned meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Kyiv reports. Independent.

This meeting was allegedly used by Russian propaganda, the SBU said, which would have turned Poroshenko into “a tool in the hands of the Russian special services.”

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Hungary has repeatedly blocked EU funds for Kyiv, while at the same time opposing sanctions against Russia.

Orban, who maintains close ties with the Kremlin, refused to provide military aid to Ukraine and said he would not support Ukraine’s EU membership.

On December 1, Poroshenko said that the border guards did not let him leave the country, although he had previously received official permission.

Later that day, Ukrainian parliament vice-speaker Oleksandr Kornienko released a video in which he said that Poroshenko had a legitimate reason to get permission to leave in the first place, but received a letter that said “for official use.” ,” which caused him to withdraw his approval.

Kornienko said he could not reveal what was written in the letter. It is not known whether the SBU’s request was contained in the letter to which Kornienko referred.

Poroshenko claimed that the cancellation was for political reasons and hinted that the decision came from above. “This is anti-Ukrainian sabotage,” he said.

A statement from Poroshenko’s European Solidarity party on December 1 also criticized the cancellation of the exit permit, saying it harms the country and “undermines internal unity.”

Due to martial law, Ukrainians between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country, except under special circumstances or with official permission.

Poroshenko, 58, said the reason for his trip outside Ukraine was to go to Poland and help negotiate an end to the ongoing blockade by Polish truckers, and then to the United States to meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Poroshenko, who was elected president in 2014, lost the 2019 presidential race to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in a bitter campaign that often included personal attacks.

The rivalry between them did not subside even after the elections, and Poroshenko was investigated for treason for allegedly conducting business in the Russian-occupied Donbass.

Poroshenko called the investigation politically motivated.

Poroshenko and Zelenskyi publicly put aside their differences after the full-scale invasion, with Poroshenko saying in a 2022 interview that he “hated” the idea of ​​attacking Zelenskyi during a war.

Since then, he has repeatedly publicly criticized Zelenskyi.

Poroshenko was previously banned from leaving Ukraine in May 2022 for the NATO summit, but was eventually allowed to leave the country on a third attempt.