Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Australia for a “powerful” defence package after months of earnest lobbying for more Bushmaster armoured vehicles.

Mr Zelensky met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese overnight Wednesday (AEST) on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania.

Mr Albanese promised another 30 Australian-made Bushmaster infantry vehicles, adding to 90 that have already been deployed in the war.

Mr Albanese said the four-wheel-drive Bushmasters requested by Ukraine had been “particularly helpful in saving lives”, as told to him by Mr Zelensky and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

Mr Albanese said the package took the total number of Bushmasters given to Ukraine to 120.

Australia has provided more than $710 million in military aid, with overall support reaching a total of $890 million.

Mr Albanese said Australia remained steadfast in its commitment to support Ukraine.

“We are proud to provide additional Bushmaster vehicles to assist the brave men and women fighting for their home and their nation’s sovereignty,” he said.

“Russia unilaterally launched this illegal and immoral invasion and should withdraw its troops and end the conflict immediately.”

Mr Zelensky expressed his gratitude after meeting Mr Albanese.

“Thank you! A powerful new defence package, including 30 Bushmasters,” he wrote on the Telegram app.

Australia this week announced a further step in its support for Ukraine — the deployment of an RAAF E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to protect the flow of assistance.

Earlier, Mr Albanese told NATO leaders Australia’s partnership with the security alliance is crucial for global peace and prosperity.

Tweet from @ZelenskyyUa

Mr Albanese is in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius as part of a group of four Indo-Pacific nations sharing their concerns with European and other NATO partners about the global impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

NATO members invited Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea to provide insight into broader security challenges such as China’s military expansion.

After Mr Albanese’s meeting with Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general said China “is not our adversary”.

Chinese authorities said in a statement the nation opposed NATO’s “eastward movement into the Asia-Pacific region”.

“Any act that jeopardises China’s legitimate rights and interests will be met with a resolute response,” they said.

Mr Albanese also held separate talks with US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.

NATO allies’ commitment

Also at the summit, the US and G7 allies unveiled more military and financial support to bolster Ukraine’s defences against Russia while the country waits for NATO membership.

The offer came a day after Mr Zelensky decried as “absurd” a refusal to outline a timeline for Ukraine’s entry into NATO.

Ukraine has been pushing for rapid membership while fighting a Russian invasion unleashed in February 2022.

Instead the G7 promised military and financial support, intelligence sharing and a promise of immediate steps if Russia should attack again.

“Our support will last long into the future. It’s a powerful statement of our commitment to Ukraine,” US President Joe Biden said alongside Mr Zelensky and leaders of the G7, which is made up of the US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

“We’re going to be there as long as that takes.”

Swallowing his disappointment over the lack of a membership timetable, Mr Zelensky called the outcome a “meaningful success” following a flurry of announcements of military aid for Kyiv.

“Today there are security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO,” he said.

“The Ukraine delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for Ukraine.”