KYIV (Reuters) - Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's former President and current opposition lawmaker, reported being stopped from leaving the country on Friday morning. He claimed that the incident was a politically motivated attempt to disrupt his work.

Poroshenko shared a video of himself at a border crossing with Poland, where he was turned away. He displayed official documents, indicating that he had permission to cross the border. However, under martial law, Ukrainian officials require special approval for international travel.

Oleksandr Korniyenko, the deputy speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, confirmed that he had canceled Poroshenko's permission to leave the country. Korniyenko stated that he had received a letter, the contents of which he could not disclose, leading to the cancellation of the travel authorization. While lawmakers are typically allowed to travel for party political events, this particular situation prompted the cancellation.

Poroshenko had intended to travel to Poland to assist with negotiating an end to a truckers' blockade, and then intended to visit the United States to garner support for Ukraine's war efforts.

Poroshenko's accusation of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's administration playing politics ahead of elections accompanied his video post. He labeled the incident as an "anti-Ukrainian diversion" and expressed his concern that it hindered his team's diplomatic work and weakened Ukraine's defense capabilities.

The rivalry between Poroshenko and Zelenskiy dates back to the heated 2019 presidential election. Zelenskiy emerged victorious, defeating the incumbent Poroshenko by a significant margin. Last month, Zelenskiy announced that holding a presidential election was not appropriate at this time, as it is prohibited under martial law regulations. Typically, presidential elections in Ukraine are scheduled for March 2024.

The incident involving Poroshenko's travel restrictions has raised questions about political maneuvering and its impact on Ukraine's domestic and international affairs.