The Abbott government is set to send military trainers and advisers to help Ukraine counter Russia's recent aggression against its neighbour, effectively involving Australia in one of the world's most fraught international crises.

On top of confirming for the first time that Washington has made a "general request" for more military help from Australia in Iraq, Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament on Wednesday that Australia was considering sending "civil and military capacity-building assistance" to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military will soon receive training from Australian Defence Force personnel. Credit:AFP

This is understood to take the form of Australian Defence Force personnel who will train and advise the Ukrainian military - a clear signal that Mr Abbott is pushing to position Australia firmly as an active "middle power" in international affairs.

But just hours after Mr Abbott made his announcement, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared he had reached a ceasefire deal with Moscow, though whether this will end the fighting with pro-Kremlin rebels in the country's east remains unclear.