Ukraine ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko says winning against Putin requires consistent Australian support

Vasyl Myroshnychenko, who's been in Canberra as Ukraine's ambassador a few weeks shy of a full year, says he and his diplomatic counterparts around the world are pushing a simple message as the war ticks over into its second year - a plan to ensure continuous support.

"It's not about another 90 Bushmasters, it's not about other kinds of equipment or ammunition," Mr Myroshnychenko told The Canberra Times.

"What's important now for Australia, and for us, is we work out a plan for this year.

"Last year, it was about defending the country. This year, it's about winning the war. And it's important that we keep that focus."

The Albanese government announced in February it was offering Ukraine an additional $33 million of assistance, which included the provision of more uncrewed aerial systems along with financial sanctions and travel bans against a further 90 individuals and 40 entities.

The support is in addition to the 90 Bushmaster vehicles Australia has already committed, which Defence Minister Richard Marles said last month are on schedule.

But the Ukrainian ambassador, who was in Kyiv as shelling first rained down on the city in February last year, wants to see his country's supporters band together to provide material support on a regular basis.

"It's not about the details of what's there - it could be ammunition, drones and the drone equipment, telecommunications equipment - there are many things that we need," Mr Myroshnychenko said.

"What's important is that we can have that support come in consistently and [that] Australia will be able to provide it during this year."

The invasion of the Eastern European country dominated recent G20 talks in India in early March but a joint statement condemning Russia's invasion wasn't reached following Russia and China's dismissal.

Mr Marles last month said Australia will continue to provide Ukraine with assistance for "as long as it takes" while balancing priorities within the Indo-Pacific region.

While being a wartime diplomat has been professionally rewarding for Mr Myroshnychenko, the personal toll has also been considerable.

The ambassador has returned to Ukraine four times since being posted to Canberra and, each time, has experienced a feeling that can't be felt while reading emails in a small bush capital nearly 15,000 kilometres away.

"It was a very tumultuous year for me," he said.

"I came here in March so it's only going to be 12 months in a few weeks from now but it looks as if a whole five years at least have passed.

"Every time I would come back, I had something new to share."

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In Canberra, the Ukrainian community and its supporters held a peaceful protest outside the Russian embassy to mark one year since Putin's forces crossed the border.

Mr Myroshnychenko said it's hard not to feel emotional seeing his community hit by the harrowing news abroad.

"It's difficult to be not affected by that. You are affected as a human being and that's been traumatising for me, for my family, for everybody, for those Ukrainians who are here, and who have their relatives in Ukraine," he said.

"They wake up every day and they see what's happening and your social media turns into an obituary because there's somebody out there every day dying."

That's why this year's focus on Ukraine winning against its aggressor is also personal for him.

But it's also in the world's interest to maintain peace during tense times, he said.

"If Russia is allowed to win, the whole system of the international rules-based order is undermined," Mr Myroshnychenko said.

"International security is undermined. The UN, as a structure, also the UN Charter loses its gravitas.

"There is no legitimacy in the Security Council, in any respect, because it's an act of aggression of a nuclear power against his neighbour. And the fact that Russia has violated that blatantly is something to be really concerned about."