How do I add references to a container when the borrowed values are created after the container?

For reasons related to code organization, I need the compiler to accept the following (simplified) code:

fn f() {
    let mut vec = Vec::new();
    let a = 0;
    vec.push(&a);
    let b = 0;
    vec.push(&b);
    // Use `vec`
}

The compiler complains

error: `a` does not live long enough
 --> src/main.rs:8:1
  |
4 |     vec.push(&a);
  |               - borrow occurs here
...
8 | }
  | ^ `a` dropped here while still borrowed
  |
  = note: values in a scope are dropped in the opposite order they are created

error: `b` does not live long enough
 --> src/main.rs:8:1
  |
6 |     vec.push(&b);
  |               - borrow occurs here
7 |     // Use `vec`
8 | }
  | ^ `b` dropped here while still borrowed
  |
  = note: values in a scope are dropped in the opposite order they are created

However, I'm having a hard time convincing the compiler to drop the vector before the variables it references. vec.clear() doesn't work, and neither does drop(vec). mem::transmute() doesn't work either (to force vec to be 'static).

The only solution I found was to transmute the reference into &'static _. Is there any other way? Is it even possible to compile this in safe Rust?