New Zealand's support for Ukraine 'unequivocal'

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has shared a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, outlining New Zealand's fresh pledge of assistance.

The pair spoke on Monday night ahead of the New Zealand prime minister's trip to Europe for King Charles' Coronation on Saturday.

Mr Hipkins is yet to reveal publicly the shape and size of NZ's support, which has trailed other developed nations.

"New Zealand steadfastly supports Ukraine and will continue to look for ways we can provide meaningful contributions," he said.

A readout of the meeting described it as "warm and insightful", with Mr Hipkins offering NZ's "unequivocal" support for Ukraine.

Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine has reshaped NZ's international outlook, forcing more engagement through the US-backed military alliance NATO and drawing Wellington closer to Washington.

Defence Minister Andrew Little met with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov in Germany last month to ascertain the country's needs in the fight against Russia.

Mr Little indicated further support was likely to be financial rather than the provision of military equipment.

"There was a recognition that New Zealand has a long, long way from the conflict and getting physical support can be challenging just logistically," he said.

Opposition Leader Chris Luxon has also backed the government's policy of giving aid rather than hardware.

"If they need financial assistance, we should be very open to considering what more we could do," he said.

"The most efficient way, given where we sit in the world and our capability, is probably through financial support."

NZ's financial support to Ukraine's defence, and to humanitarian and legal assistance, is about $NZ43 million ($A40 million).

It is also training Ukrainian troops in the UK - who Mr Hipkins will visit this week - and has supplied thousands of pieces of equipment including body armour, helmets and vests.

NZ last offered assistance in December, when Mr Zelenskiy delivered a virtual address to its parliament.

Mr Hipkins does not plan to visit Ukraine alongside his trip to the UK but said he wanted to meet President Zelenskiy "when the opportunity arises".

The Labour PM said it was unlikely he would visit Kyiv when he heads back to Europe in July for the NATO Summit in Lithuania.

"I wouldn't rule out ever doing it but scheduling-wise, it's looking unlikely," he said.