Anthony Albanese gives Volodymyr Zelensky 30 more Bushmasters at NATO summit in Lithuania

Anthony Albanese has promised an extra 30 Bushmasters will be delivered to Ukraine as he insists Australia will remain by its side until Russia’s invasion has been thwarted.

Anthony Albanese meets Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Lithuania, on Wednesday. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

Anthony Albanese will give Ukraine an extra 30 Bushmasters after telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Australia “will remain with you for as long as this takes for you to restore your sovereignty and repel this brutal invasion’’.

Meeting the war-torn country’s leader for a second time, the Prime Minister said providing the latest batch of Bushmasters would bring the tally of the vehicles being used by grateful Ukrainian soldiers to 120.

The vehicles are in addition to recent commitments to provide an RAAF Wedgetail aircraft and 100 associated military personnel to service the plane, based in ­Germany.

So far, the federal government has provided military assistance of more than $710m, with total support, including humanitarian aid, at $890m.

“Mr Zelensky is very grateful for the support Australia has given; the Ukrainian struggle is a very difficult one and they would like as much support as possible across a range of assets,” Mr Albanese said in a statement.

“This (supply of extra Bushmasters) is very positive – we know it makes a difference.”

He said there were issues of supply with providing any of the light armoured four-wheel-drive Hawkeis, which Ukraine had previously requested.

“We have explained what the issues were; we want to make sure we provide equipment that maximises the positive difference it will make,’’ he said. “We know the Bushmaster can do that.’’

Ukrainian soldiers in front of an Australian Bushmaster.

Mr Zelensky told Mr Albanese: “Australia stands shoulder to shoulder with our people and we appreciate that support.”

Mr Albanese also told him that Australia would continue to impose sanctions on Russia and that “recently we had an issue with a Russian embassy in Australia and we took action to ensure they weren’t in a position which was inappropriate (to be) so close to our Parliament House.”

The Prime Minister spent 15 minutes with the Ukrainian leader on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius on Wednesday, reiterating that “we will remain with you as long as this takes for you to restore your sovereignty and repel this brutal invasion’’.

The latest tranche of equipment comes as Australia is preparing to send the Wedgetail to Europe in October. It is considered the most sophisticated surveillance craft in the world, and will help secure the logistic supply lines going into Ukraine.

Other countries have also reached deep into the armoury. France is to provide Ukraine with new long-range missiles and Germany said it would provide more tanks, Patriot missile defences and armoured vehicles worth €700m.

France, Germany, the US and Britain are to ameliorate Mr Zelensky’s disappointment about NATO not providing an immediate pathway to join the alliance with a security guarantee. This will include extended military provisions well into the future to deal with Russia, even long after the current war is concluded.

The NATO summit has been dominated by Mr Zelensky’s fury that Ukraine may not be invited to join the military alliance, describing the current discussions by European and North American leaders as “absurd”.

A 5000-strong rally of Lithuanians and Ukrainian refugees gathered in the centre of Vilnius on Tuesday night amid tight security and mobbed the wartime leader.

“I will speak Ukrainian, the language of our heroes and war heroes,’’ he told the enthusiastic crowd as he was joined on stage by wife Olena, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and his wife, Diana.

NATO leaders have been focused on a three-prong deal to fund transition of Ukrainian armed forces equipment from the Soviet era to NATO standards and help rebuild Ukraine’s security and defence sector, covering critical needs like fuel, de-mining equipment and medical supplies.

Allies also agreed to establish a NATO-Ukraine Council.