Because of meeting Orban?
Ukraine prevents former President Poroshenko from leaving the country
December 2nd, 2023, 9:20 p.m
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The Ukrainian former president, Petro Poroshenko, wants to leave the country – but is not allowed to. Officials don’t let him pass at the border with Poland. The suspected reason: The opposition politician wants to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Ukrainian border officials prevented former President Petro Poroshenko from leaving the country because he allegedly wanted to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Poroshenko posted a video on X showing a border crossing with Poland that he was not allowed to pass through.
In the video, the 58-year-old holds up a piece of paper and says it is his official permission to cross the border. Under martial law, Ukrainian officials must obtain special permission to travel abroad. “Once again the theater of the absurd at the border,” Poroshenko writes in the post.
The Ukrainian secret service SBU has now confirmed: Poroshenko, who was head of state from 2014 to 2019, was turned away at the border on Friday. The reason was a planned meeting between the opposition MP and Orban, who was criticized by Kiev for his pro-Russian stance.
Orban “systematically represents an anti-Ukrainian position,” said the SBU. Moscow wanted to use the meeting “for its information and psychological operations against Ukraine.” The SBU later called on the Ukrainian parliament to revoke Poroshenko’s exit permit, according to the Kyiv Independent reported. Poroshenko himself did not mention a planned meeting with Orban, but stated that he wanted to discuss, among other things, US military aid and the blockade of the border by Polish truck drivers at meetings in Poland and the USA.
After leaving office, Poroshenko was investigated for treason and corruption. The ex-president suspects that these were commissioned by his successor and political rival, the current head of state Volodymyr Zelensky. Poroshenko’s European Solidarity party is the second largest party in parliament after Zelensky’s Servant of the People party.