WASHINGTON, D.C., November 27 (RAPSI) - A petition requesting sanctions to be taken against President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych has been published on the White House official website Tuesday. It has collected 1,930 signatures so far.

The authors are unhappy with the Ukrainian government’s decision to suspend the association agreement with the EU on November 21.

“We cannot accept the fact that President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his government deny the right of the people of Ukraine to become closer to the Western civilization..”

The authors call for the US to impose personal sanctions on Yanukovych and members of the cabinet of ministers, including banning them from entering the US and the EU and freezing the bank accounts of companies affiliated with them.

If the petition obtains 100,000 signatures within 30 days it will be considered by the White House and receive an official response. The US Administration is not obliged to react to such petitions and does not always do so. For example, a request to pardon former CIA employee Edward Snowden, who revealed information about surveillance programs of the US intelligence services, collected 140,000 signatures. However, it has remained without a response for five months.