…The act declaring the independence of Ukraine would have been impossible without the Fourth Universal. If our glorious ancestors hadn’t sown the seeds of the idea of independence in 1918, they wouldn’t have grown to almost unanimous support in the referendum of 1991. …The Fourth Universal and the Act of Union are among the most important documents of national liberation. …

Our independence will become 100 percent irreversible when we prove to the whole world and, first of all, to ourselves that we have become a successful country of successful people. …

Having survived the most painful shock caused by the war and economic aggression of Russia, we are returning to the path of recovery and development. We have to overcome external aggression, build a European Ukraine, pass it on to the hands of our children and grandchildren. This is our mission. …

– President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine, speaking on January 22, the Day of Unity of Ukraine, which this year was celebrated on the 100th anniversary of the Ukrainian National Republic’s proclamation of independence in the Fourth Universal. (Excerpt cited in the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Daily Briefing.)