The federal government is considering declaring the MH17 disaster a terrorist attack, which would trigger payments of up to $75,000 to the families of Australian victims.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday that he had sought advice over whether the air disaster, which has killed 37 Australians citizens and residents, would be classed as a terrorist act.

Mr Abbott, who spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin overnight for the first time since the disaster, also told reporters that Australia would view a Russian veto of an Australian-sponsored United Nations resolution to secure the crash site ''very badly''.

This comes as Mr Abbott appointed former Defence chief and co-ordinator of the MH370 recovery Angus Houston as his personal envoy in Ukraine.

Air Chief Marshal Houston is already in Kiev and ''will work closely with local and international authorities on consular support for the families of the Australian victims, on disaster victim identification and on the crash investigation itself'', Mr Abbott said.

The families of victims of overseas terrorism are eligible for a one-off payment of up to $75,000.

Mr Abbott championed the payments via a private member's bill when in opposition and one of his first acts after the federal election was to ensure the payment could also be retrospective. Nine attacks have been declared terrorist attacks so far, including September 11, the Bali bombings and the 2013 Nairobi armed assault.

It is up to the federal government to declare MH17 a terror attack.

When asked if the government was getting ready to make the declaration, Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra that he had ''sought advice on that''.

With Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in the United States, Australia is preparing to sponsor a United Nations Security Council resolution that it is understood will condemn the disaster, call for immediate access to the crash site and demand an independent investigation.

The UNSC is expected to hold a meeting on Monday in New York.

As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Russia has the power to veto any substantive resolution.

When asked if he was confident Russia would back the resolution, Mr Abbott said ''let's wait and see''.

But he later added that Australia would view any veto ''very badly'' and that Australia was crafting a resolution that ''no reasonable person'' could object to.

Later on Monday afternoon, Russia's ambassador to Australia Vladimir Morozov was reported as saying that 'provided the resolution is not aimed at Russia, "we will support it".

Mr Abbott said that along with his conversation with Mr Putin, he has spoken to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, US President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande.

He said the mood of the leaders was ''firmer and sterner . . . than it was''.

Mr Abbott also made his first two calls to victims' families on Monday morning.

''My intention is to call all of the families of victims that would like a call from their Prime Minister,'' he said.

He described the families he had spoken to as ''numb with grief''.

Australia has deployed 45 officials to help the efforts, including 20 from the Department of Foreign Affairs, 20 AFP officers, three Defence officials and two Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators.

Acting Labor leader and foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said it would be ''completely unacceptable'' for Russia not to support a Security Council recommendation.

''But Russia has another responsibility,'' she told reporters in Melbourne.

''As well as supporting the Security Council recommendation for this investigation, Russia must also use its influence with the rebels that are in the eastern part of Ukraine in this region to allow access to the site, to allow unimpeded access for this investigation and for the securing and retrieval of bodies.

''There is very strong evidence that these separatists are in frequent close contact with Russia. Russia should use its influence to ensure that the site is secured and the investigators and retrieval teams can go about their business.''

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