MP Petro Poroshenko's business trip was cancelled due to a planned meeting with pro-Russian Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has said.
According to the SBU, Russia planned to use this meeting ("as well as other 'working meetings' of domestic politicians with representatives of states that broadcast pro-Russian narratives") in its IPSO against Ukraine. Therefore, the special service suggested that the Office of the President, the government and the Verkhovna Rada take into account information about the enemy's plans when organising and approving foreign trips of Ukrainian delegations.
"Therefore, the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada did not grant permission for a foreign business trip to a Ukrainian MP who was to become a tool in the hands of Russian special services. We remind you that according to the law, the Foreign Ministry is the main executive body in the formation and implementation of state policy on foreign relations of Ukraine," the SBU said in a statement.
The SBU said that it and intelligence agencies had received information that Russian special services were preparing provocations in the international arena. The large-scale IPSO was supposed to "change the mood in the partner countries of the anti-Russian coalition and encourage representatives of the Ukrainian political elite to proclaim narratives about the need for a negotiation process with Russia on the conditions of a war freeze", the SBU said.
As reported earlier, Poroshenko was not allowed to go on a business trip abroad the other day. The politician said that he had a business trip signed by the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, but border guards forbade him to leave the country. At the time, Border Service spokesman Andriy Demchenko said that the MP was not allowed to leave because his business trip had been cancelled. Later, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniyenko explained that he had issued the relevant order because Poroshenko was to participate in a non-parliamentary event.
Later, the SBU warned the authorities about Russia's attempts to harm Ukraine abroad through the IPSO. Therefore, according to the special service, the president, the government and the parliament should take into account the SBU recommendations when approving foreign trips, as well as the position of the Foreign Ministry.
Then came the statement by Poroshenko's European Solidarity that the Foreign Ministry had been informed of the purpose of the MP's visit.