CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA -- Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that Australia will send armoured Bushmaster vehicles to Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically asked for them while appealing to Australian lawmakers for more help in Ukraine's war against Russia.

Zelenskyy addressed the Australian Parliament on Thursday and asked for the Australian-made, four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Morrison told reporters the vehicles will be flown over on Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport planes. He didn鈥檛 specify how many would be sent or when.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, we鈥檙e sending our munitions, we鈥檙e sending our humanitarian aid, we鈥檙e sending all of this, our body armor, all of these things and we鈥檙e going to be sending our armoured vehicles, our Bushmasters, as well,鈥� Morrison said.

Zelenskyy has been tailoring his message to individual countries through video appeals like the one shown to legislators in the Australian Parliament. Lawmakers gave him standing ovation at the start and end of his 16-minute address.

Zelenskyy also called for tougher sanctions and for Russian vessels to be banned from international ports.

鈥淲e need more sanctions against Russia, powerful sanctions until they stop blackmailing other countries with their nuclear missiles,鈥� Zelenskyy said through an interpreter.

Zelenskyy specifically asked for Bushmaster vehicles.

鈥淵ou have very good armed personnel vehicles, Bushmasters, that could help Ukraine substantially, and other pieces of equipment,鈥� Zelenskyy said.

While the Ukrainian capital Kyiv is 15,000 kilometres from the Australian capital Canberra, Zelenskyy said Australia was not safe from the conflict which threatened to escalate into a nuclear war.

He suggested that a Russian victory over Ukraine would embolden China to declare war on Taiwan.

鈥淭he most terrible thing is that if we don鈥檛 stop Russia now, if we don鈥檛 hold Russia accountable, then some other countries of the world who are looking forward to similar wars against their neighbours will decide that such things are possible for them as well,鈥� Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also said Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Moscow had been punished for the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines plane in Ukraine.

Two weeks ago, the Australian and Dutch governments launched a legal case against Russia at the International Civil Aviation Organization to hold Moscow accountable for its alleged role in the missile strike that killed all 298 people on MH17. Of the victims, 196 were Dutch citizens and 38 were Australian residents.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison had earlier told the president that Australia would provide additional military assistance including tactical decoys, unmanned aerial and unmanned ground systems, rations and medical supplies. He later said the additional help would cost 25 million Australian dollars (US$19 million).

鈥淵ou have our prayers, but you also have our weapons, our humanitarian aid, our sanctions against those who seek to deny your freedom and you even have our coal,鈥� Morrison said.

Australia has already promised or provided Ukraine with AU$91 million (US$68 million) in military assistance, AU$65 million (US$49 million) in humanitarian help and 70,000 metric tons (77,200 U.S. tons) of coal.

Earlier Thursday, the government announced Australia was imposing an additional 35% tariff on all imports from Russia and Belarus starting April 25.

Oil and energy imports from Russia will be banned from that date. Exports to Russia of Australian aluminum ore will also be banned.

Sanctions have been imposed on more than 500 individuals and entities in Russia and Belarus. The sanctions cover 80% of the Russian banking sector and all government entities that handle Russian sovereign debt.

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Associated Press journalist Nick Perry contributed to this report from Wellington, New Zealand.

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