Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has spoken of a number of the opportunities provided by the country's membership in the United Nations Security Council, including a return to the proposal to introduce peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.

"For the first in its entire history, the UN will have both the aggressor, Russia, and the object of aggression sitting at its Security Council. It is important to not just be or become a UN SC member, but to become it now that the aggression is taking place against Ukraine. The opportunities for Ukraine are fairly broad," he said in an interview with Ukrainian television channels, which was aired on Sunday evening.

Now Ukraine can "demand an immediate UN SC meeting, whether it is 1 a.m. or 2 a.m.," he said. "Before we had to ask our friends and partners - now we can do so ourselves," Poroshenko said.

He also recalled that in 2016 the UN will be electing a new secretary general and that the candidates are proposed by the UN Security Council. "And Ukraine, among other 15 members, will get its chance of higher influence on international politics," the president said.

"Despite the truce, the situation is still very far from peace, with the conflict escalation likely any minute. To stabilize the situation, I am not ruling out, especially if the provisions of the Minsk agreements are not implemented in accordance with the approved schedule, we could return to the need to propose that UN should introduce its peacekeeping forces to Ukraine. A decision on peacekeepers is made by the UN SC," said Poroshenko, adding that as a SC member, Ukraine will be able to defend its position more efficiently.