Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for Australia to reopen its embassy in the war-torn country, saying he would like to see the ambassador returning on a Bushmaster armoured vehicle.

Speaking at a televised news conference to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr Zelenskiy said his country and Australia had a good relationship that had led to a lot of support during the increasingly drawn-out conflict.

Australia has provided nearly $700 million in aid since the war began, the bulk of it in defence materiel – including 90 Bushmasters, as well as anti-armour weapons and ammunition.

However, Canberra is coming under pressure to relocate its ambassador to Kyiv in line with other allies after shifting the diplomatic mission to Poland at the start of the conflict.

When asked if he would like to see Australia’s ambassador return to Kyiv, Mr Zelenskiy replied via a translator: “It’s so nice to hear a question that you can say ‘yes’ to.”

‘Australia…helped us lot’

Switching to English, he added: “I’ll be very happy, really. I have relations with Australia and they really helped us a lot.

“I have had a huge deficit with armed vehicles – I don’t want to share all of the information (about) how many we have got from Australia, but anyway we’ve got it and that is great.

“That’s why, to shake hands with the ambassador of Australia – I would do it with pleasure. Please, come – come back – but on a Bushmaster, we need one more.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs has defended the decision to hold the ambassador back despite other nations returning, citing security advice for the move.

But the opposition has called for the embassy to be reopened in order to better support Ukraine.

Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said Australia should follow the lead of most other nations in returning an ambassador.

“Australia has managed embassies in conflict zones from Iraq to Afghanistan. We can do so again in Kiev,” he tweeted on Saturday.

Labor assistant minister Ged Kearney this week said the reopening was under review and it would happen when the move was safe for staff.

Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has said officials in Canberra could be missing out on vital information and meetings by not being on the ground.

-AAP