Donetsk, Feb 9 – DAN. All 96 DPR parliament deputies joined the campaign to collect signatures in support of the petition to the Russian, German and US leaders asking them to stop Kiev’s war, DPR People’s Council press service told Donetsk News Agency on Thursday.

“All 96 People’s Council deputies joined the campaign. They are meeting with residents at schools, executive bodies, rallies, public facilities, hospitals and outreach sessions in all towns," a DPR deputy said.

On Thursday, head of the parliament committee for youth affairs, physical culture, sport and tourism Yuriy Martynov met with residents of Donetsk’s Kalininskiy district at the local children’s creativity centre.

“The objective of the petition is to make Ukraine stop the genocide against Donbass people and fulfil the Minsk agreements. It’s one thing when one person talks about it, but thousands and dozens of thousand carry much more weight. We must show to the world community that we are strong and have our own viewpoint,” Martynov told district residents.

Deputies also met with residents in Makeyevka, Gorlovka, Yasinovataya, Novoazovsk, Khartsyzsk, Ilovaisk and elsewhere to bring home the significance of the petition and enlist support for the parliament’s initiative.

“Kiev political elite is indifferent to the lives of our women and children, they only seek to destroy. But we are in our own land and have stood up to defend our borders by right. I urge everybody to consolidate in defending our native Donbass,” Deputy Alexander Bykadorov said in an address to residents of Gorlovka’s Nikitovskiy district.

“We should use even the slightest hope to influence the situation. Appealing to world leaders gives us such hope, so we must use it,” deputy Yekaterina Martyanova said at a meeting with Donetsk medics on Thursday.

On 31 January, DPR and LPR People’s Councils chairmen Denis Pushilin and Vladimir Degtyarenko brought forward a joint petition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel asking them to make Ukrainian leadership stop the Donbass genocide. A signature collection campaign in support of the document was launched in the republic on the same day. According to latest reports, almost 22,000 DPR residents signed the petition. The petition with signature lists will be handed over to OSCE special representative in the Contact Group Martin Sajdik and later on to western and Russian leaders. *jk