“Every one of the 177 votes received at the General Assembly of the U.N. for Ukraine is a vote in support of the state sovereignty, political independence and unity of Ukraine. This vote demonstrated the global level of international support for Ukraine. …
“This time, our victory is especially important, because we achieved it at a time when the world is faced with the most complex challenges of the last decades: Ukraine is faced with foreign aggression, a part of our territory is occupied by Russia – a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. Because of this our membership in the U.N. Security Council gives us new opportunities to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity. …
“Ukraine will dedicate significant attention to reform of the Security Council and countering the abuse of the veto right of permanent members, one of whom has become an aggressor against Ukraine. …Ukraine’s membership in the Security Council] will facilitate the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty over all territories occupied by Russia, both in the Donbas and in Crimea.”
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko reacting to Ukraine’s election to the U.N. Security Council on October 15.
“I congratulate Ukraine on its election to the United Nations Security Council. Canada fully supported Ukraine’s bid for this seat. We look forward to continuing to support Ukraine as it holds Vladimir Putin accountable for his unacceptable military aggression in Eastern Ukraine.
“From day one, Canada has supported Ukraine as its territorial integrity has been threatened by Russia. We have provided significant financial support, military supplies, and are a primary contributor to NATO’s Ukrainian assurance measures. Whether it takes five months or 50 years, the Conservative Party of Canada will never accept the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory.
“So long as Vladimir Putin continues to occupy sovereign Ukrainian land, there will be no business as usual with Russia. This is why Canada continues to lead the world when it comes to sanctioning individuals and entities with ties to Vladimir Putin.
“I look forward to seeing Ukraine draw attention to Vladimir Putin’s unacceptable activities on the world stage at the United Nations Security Council.”
– Rob Nicholson, Canada’s foreign affairs minister and a member of the Conservative Party running in the October 19 elections, speaking on October 15 after Ukraine’s election as a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.