Former President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, stated that he was prevented from leaving the country on Friday morning due to what he believes to be a politically motivated attempt to hinder his work.

Former Ukrainian President Poroshenko, who held office from 2014 to 2019 and is currently a member of the opposition, shared a video of himself at a border checkpoint with Poland. He stated that he was denied entry and displayed documents indicating that he had obtained official authorization to cross.

During a state of martial law, Ukrainian authorities are required to obtain specific authorization in order to leave the country.

Oleksandr Korniyenko, the deputy speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, has officially revoked Poroshenko’s authorization to travel outside of the country.

Korniyenko stated that although legislators were permitted to attend political events, he received a letter that prevented him from disclosing details and ultimately caused him to revoke Poroshenko’s travel authorization.

There is currently a disagreement arising from gradually increasing tensions between the government and opposition. These tensions mainly revolve around internal issues, such as budgets and appointments. This is in contrast to the initial period of the conflict, when there was nearly complete unity. The conflict continues to rage on against invading Russian troops.

Poroshenko announced that he intended to go to Poland to assist in discussions to resolve a truckers’ blockade, and then travel to the United States to garner support for Ukraine’s war efforts.

Next to his video upload, he composed a statement alleging that the administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revoked permission and engaged in political maneuvering prior to elections.

“Illegal activities targeting Ukraine,” stated Poroshenko. “This not only hinders the diplomatic efforts of my team, but also weakens Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.”

The request for comment to Zelenskyy’s office was not promptly responded to.

Poroshenko, the leader of the European Solidarity opposition party, is a notable opponent of Zelenskyy’s government.

In the 2019 presidential election, Zelenskyy emerged victorious in a heated and personal race against incumbent Poroshenko.

Last month, Zelenskyy informed the citizens of Ukraine that it was not appropriate to have a presidential election at this time. Typically, the election would take place in March 2024, but it is currently not allowed due to the implementation of martial law.