Abbott invites Ukraine leader to Australia

Tony Abbott has invited Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko to Australia.

The prime minister spoke with Mr Poroshenko by phone on Wednesday night, when the president thanked Australia for its support for his country.

The two leaders discussed the deteriorating situation in eastern Ukraine.

Mr Abbott told his counterpart Russia's continued effort to destabilise Ukraine and violate its sovereignty remained of deep concern to the Australian government, a spokesman said.

Mr Abbott invited Mr Poroshenko to visit Australia.

Australia lost 38 people in the MH17 disaster over eastern Ukraine in July.

Australian intelligence sources believe Russian-backed separatists firing Russian-supplied weapons were behind the killing of 298 people on the Malaysia Airlines flight.