Italy has transferred €110 million to Ukraine's government "as a sign of solidarity and support", the country's foreign minister said on Sunday as EU defence ministers prepared to meet and discuss further aid. 

Italian minister Luigi Di Maio announced the €110m transfer on Twitter.

"I've informed my colleague Dmytro Kuleba that I've just signed a resolution for the immediate payment of 110 million euros to the government in Kyiv, as a sign of solidarity and support from Italy to a people with whom we have fraternal relations," he wrote.

In a longer post on Facebook, the minister said that Ukraine was under siege and under continuous bombardment by the Russians for no fault of its own.

"Peace is the goal towards which we continue to work every day and we respond to Russian arms with sanctions," Di Maio said. 

"The European Union and all of its allies must form a common front." 

The payment is one of a series of initiatives announced by foreign governments on Sunday to back Ukraine and comes as the EU called an emergency meeting of defence ministers. 

Their emergency meeting, by video link, will also examine additional EU sanctions announced overnight by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

"Today's discussion by EU Foreign Ministers will pave the way for the swift adoption of all necessary legal acts," said a statement from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's office.

Josep Borrell is to lead a remote meeting of EU defence ministers. Photo: AFP

Borrell "will propose to provide a measure composed of lethal equipment, such as ammunition, and a measure for non-lethal equipment and supplies to the Ukrainian army, such as fuel and urgent medical supplies," it said. 

Several EU officials said that EU countries had individually been sending "significant" shipments of weapons to Ukraine.

Germany has said it sending 1,400 anti-tank rockets and 500 ground-to-air Stinger missiles. The Netherlands announced the dispatch of 200 Stingers and rifles. Belgium said 2,000 machine guns and 3,800 tonnes of fuel were on the way. The Czech Republic is delivering 30,000 pistols, 7,000 assault rifles, 3,000 machine guns, several sniper rifles and a million cartridges. 

Portugal said it was sending night-vision googles, grenades and ammunition. Romania was shipping fuel, bullet-proof vests, helmets, munition and other military equipment. France and Greece said they were sending unspecified military equipment.

The foreign ministers' meeting is to begin at 1700 GMT, with Borrell expected to give a media conference afterwards at 1900 GMT.

Israel pledges aid, Japan joins sanctions

Beyond Europe, Israel has said it will send humanitarian aid to civilians impacted by fighting in Ukraine, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett saying his government was pursuing a "measured and responsible" policy on the crisis.

Bennett said his government was sending "100 tonnes of Israeli humanitarian equipment for civilians in the combat zones and those who are trying to leave".

The shipment will include blankets, medical equipment and water purification kits, among other items, Bennett said ahead of his weekly cabinet meeting. 

Israel has sought to preserve its delicate security cooperation with Moscow, given the large Russian military presence in Syria, where Israel conducts regular air strikes on what it calls Iran-linked targets.

And in Tokyo, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan would join Western sanctions against Russia and also increase its aid to Ukraine.  

In addition to $100 million in loans already offered to Ukraine, Kishida said Tokyo would offer another $100 million in emergency humanitarian aid.

"In light of this emergency situation, Japan reiterates that we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine who are striving to defend their sovereignty, territory, motherland and families," he said.

He also announced Japan would seek to identify and freeze assets belonging to President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials.

Japan, a key US ally, has complex relations with Russia and did not sign a peace treaty after World War II because of a lingering dispute over four islands claimed by Moscow in the closing days of the conflict.