Ukraine's ex-president not allowed to leave country for NATO meeting

Border guards prevented the fifth president, Petro Poroshenko, from crossing the border to attend the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Earlier, the official composition of the delegation was approved by the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada.

This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the co-chairman of the faction "European Solidarity" Irina Gerashchenko.

"Tonight, Poroshenko was not allowed through the border. Without explaining the reasons. Border guards at the checkpoint Rava Russkaya were talking some nonsense about "fake or cancelled order", although all other deputies are released from the country without any problems," said Gerashchenko.

According to her, the leadership of the faction "ES" tried to contact the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada to understand what was happening, but he did not get in touch.

"Segregation of deputies has long been happening by party affiliation, but this is the first time we see such impudence, and it brings the country back to the time of Yanukovych" Gerashchenko believes.

"European Solidarity" considers this situation as an order from the authorities, continuing the war with Poroshenko.

"This is not just the undermining of the declared unity, but the complete destruction of it. This is a trifling and undignified policy. This provocation is aimed at splitting society, destroying the international image of Ukraine," she added.

According to her, it looks especially dangerous on the eve of tough debates about Ukraine's EU candidate status.