Soon after Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991, Hennadiy Udovenko (1931-2013), Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations, held a news conference. Udovenko explained Ukraine's independence process, adoption of glasnost, and intention to honor international agreements. After his comprehensive statement explaining his country's new status, aim to be a non-nuclear state, and relations with other countries, he answered questions from correspondents at the U.N.