UNITED NATIONS — Five countries, representing five regions, were elected, unopposed, on Thursday to two-year seats on the United Nations Security Council: Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay.

None of them will have any of the power or influence of the Council’s five permanent members. But they could use their temporary positions to try to advance their own foreign policy priorities — or lash out at their rivals.

Ukraine is expected to use its seat on the Council to push for accountability for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, for which it blames Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member. As a measure of the diplomatic rancor, Ukraine won the fewest number of votes: 177 out of a total 193 countries eligible to vote.

Japan could challenge its chief rival, China, also a permanent member, by raising the issue of human rights abuses in North Korea or trying to advance its own bid for a permanent seat on the Council.