Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Tuesday that his team was working with US "partners" to maintain support for Ukraine, but added that he opposed a wartime election, according to Reuters.

In a written statement published on the messaging app Telegram, Mr Poroshenko wrote that elections should only take place after peace is established. He added that a vote would take place no later than 180 days after the conflict ends.

Yulia Tymoshenko, another opposition leader, said her group was “talking with all our allies who can help ensure a just peace as soon as possible” and also argued that elections should not take place before Ukraine has peace.

Earlier, Politico reported on March 5 that four senior members of President Trump’s entourage had held discussions with some of President Zelensky’s top political opponents. The talks were held with Ms. Tymoshenko and senior members of Mr. Poroshenko’s party, Politico reported, citing three Ukrainian lawmakers and a foreign policy expert from the US Republican Party.

According to Politico , the discussions focused on whether Ukraine could hold quick presidential elections.

Russia argues that Mr Zelensky is illegitimate president because his five-year term expires in 2024. But under Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held during martial law. Instead, Mr Zelensky has offered to step down in exchange for peace and NATO membership for Ukraine.

The political rivalry between Zelensky and Poroshenko has been going on for years. Last month, Zelensky approved sanctions against Poroshenko for what Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency described as “national security reasons,” without providing details. Poroshenko said the move was politically motivated, according to Reuters.