High-level talks were taking place in London and Brussels on Thursday, as Western allies attempt to boost military aid and security for Ukraine amid continuing aggression from an emboldened Russia.
An Australian delegation was among those attending a closed-door summit in the British capital, where representatives of a so-called "coalition of the willing" met.
"Australia remains steadfast in its support, and supports all meaningful progress towards a just and enduring peace for Ukraine," a spokesperson for the Department of Defence said.
"Australia will continue to participate in collaborative military planning at a range of levels."
The group, convened by the United Kingdom and France, is aiming to offer peacekeeping resources to Ukraine if a ceasefire with Russia is achieved.
Meanwhile, in Brussels, European Union (EU) leaders gathered to discuss bolstering security measures for the country, which has been fighting an a full-scale invasion from Moscow's military since early 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the meeting via video link from Oslo, Norway, where he told the bloc his nation needed €5 billion ($8.61 billion) for artillery shells.
He also urged allies to boost investment in arms manufacturing.
Mr Zelenskyy's pleas come amid increasing efforts, led by the united States, to broker a ceasefire.
"Ongoing diplomatic efforts do not mean Russia should face less pressure," the Ukrainian president told EU leaders.
"That's crucial to reducing the chances of a Russian hoax. And we all know how easily Moscow disregards its promises — one moment they give their word, and a few hours later it means absolutely nothing."
While the Brussels meeting was expected to go late into the evening, European leaders did release an update in the afternoon, reiterating plans to boost support.
"The European Union maintains its 'peace through strength' approach, which requires Ukraine to be in the strongest possible position, with its own robust military and defence capabilities as an essential component," it read.
"In line with this approach, the European Union remains committed, in coordination with like-minded partners and allies, to providing further comprehensive support to Ukraine and its people, as it exercises its inherent right to self-defence against Russia's war of aggression."
After several years of crippling sanctions and increasing global isolation, Russia and its long-time president Vladimir Putin have been buoyed by thawing relations with the US.
While Washington had previously been a significant backer of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, new President Donald Trump has sparked a foreign policy shift.
Not only have diplomatic dialogues between the two countries resumed, but Mr Trump has at times been publicly hostile towards his Ukrainian counterpart. He also paused aid and intelligence sharing for several days earlier this year.
According to Russian state media outlets, delegations from Moscow and Washington will convene in Saudi Arabia for more peace talks from Monday.
However the EU's reiteration that it was searching for ways to increase its military aid to Ukraine will be a stumbling block, given Mr Putin's comments earlier this week he would not consider agreeing to any ceasefire as long as foreign countries were sending arms and intelligence to Kyiv.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has also bristled at the idea of foreign military assets being stationed in Ukraine after the war ends.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously indicated he'd consider deploying Australian troops there as part of a "coalition of the willing".
Natia Seskuria, an associate fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute, described the group being assembled as "a good idea".
"However, there are significant issues when it comes to how it can be implemented in practical terms. And we see that even when it comes to European nations, there are different views," she said.
"To what extent each individual nation can do, can join this coalition of obviously a Britain and France are leading the efforts to place reassurance forces in Ukraine, which remains one of the key objectives and priority areas for you Ukrainians.
"But this is also a very strong red line for the Russian side."
Tim Willasey-Wilsey, a visiting professor at King's College London, said the idea of foreign "peacekeeping" troops in Ukraine was "never going to happen".
"Putin is not going to allow NATO countries onto the soil of Ukraine. After all, if you remember back to the beginning of 2022, this is the thing he's always claimed to be his reason for going into Ukraine, that NATO is creeping closer," he said.
"So if NATO is actually in Ukraine in a sense, how does he go to the Russian public and say this has all been a success. So he's going to flatly refuse."
This week, Russia and Ukraine agreed not to target each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days, in what some analysts believe is a step towards peace.
However, fighting continues. Moscow launched a large-scale drone attack on multiple targets overnight, and hit a school, while Ukrainian drones caused significant damage to a Russian military air base in the Saratov Oblast.
