LUGANSK (Sputnik) — Earlier this week, it was reported about 52,000 signatures collected on the petition.
"As of today, we have collected 153,000 signatures. That is why I can confidently say that this is not a request of two speakers, but the request of the entire people. In this regard, on behalf of all residents of Donbass, I am asking Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Angela Merkel to make Poroshenko stop the war and genocide in Donbass," Degtyarenko said, as quoted by the Lugansk Media Centre.
In late January, parliament speakers of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics called on Russian, US and German leaders to pressure Kiev authorities into stopping hostilities in Donbass and lifting the blockade of the region.
The situation in southeastern Ukraine has escalated again over the past weeks, in particular near the town of Avdiivka in the DPR, where clashes between Kiev forces and the local militia have intensified. The conflicting parties have both accused each other of initiating the violence.
On Friday, a spokesperson of the DPR's ombudsman said that over 40 people had been killed in the DPR since the beginning of 2017 due to the recent escalation of violence.
