This Sunday’s autonomy vote will hold despite an appeal by Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine yesterday, May 8, 2014, decided not to postpone a referendum on independence planned for Sunday, May 11, 2014. The decision came a day after Russian President, Vladimir Putin, urged them to delay the vote to create the conditions necessary for dialogue.

Representatives from the Council of the Donetsk's People's Republic told a news conference that they voted to press ahead with the referendum on whether eastern Ukrainian residents living there want sovereignty from Kiev. Reports said it was not immediately clear what separatists in Luhansk, where a vote has also been scheduled, had decided. There was no immediate reaction from neither Moscow nor Kiev.

Asked about President Putin's plea on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 to delay the vote, Denis Pushilin, the Chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic, said the comments were "surprising," but he respected him. Meanwhile, the distribution of millions of ballot paper is said to be going on in eastern Ukraine in preparation for the vote.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Putin also announced the withdrawal of an estimated 40,000 troops deployed on the Ukrainian border since last February. The move was announced after a meeting at the Kremlin with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE Chief, Didier Burkhalter.

The Russian leader described the Ukrainian government’s plans to organise presidential elections on May 25, 2014 as “a step in the right direction”. He however warned that the vote will not decide anything if all the citizens of Ukraine do not understand how their rights will be protected after the election.