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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he will hold talks with President Joe Biden to strengthen Kyiv's defence capabilities against Russia's devastating invasion.

Zelenskiy's political adviser Mykhailo Podolyak had said earlier that the visit, his first overseas trip since Russia invaded 300 days ago, showed the deep trust between Kyiv and Washington and offered him the opportunity to explain what arms Kyiv needed.

"I will hold a series of negotiations to strengthen the resilience and defence capabilities of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said in a statement on Telegram on Wednesday alongside photos of him on US soil as he prepared to go into talks with Biden at the White House.

"Next year, we must return the Ukrainian flag and freedom to our entire land, to all our people."

Wearing his trademark olive green pants and sweater, Zelenskiy arrived at the White House. He met Biden and his wife on the lawn and Biden guided the Ukrainian president with an arm around his back.

They will participate in a joint news conference with the US president and then go to Capitol Hill to address a joint session of the US Senate and House of Representatives.

Ahead of Zelenskiy's arrival, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the United States would provide another $1.85 billion in military aid for Ukraine including a Patriot air defence system to help it ward off barrages of Russian missiles.

Ukraine in recent weeks has come under repeated Russian missile and drone strikes targeting its energy infrastructure, leaving millions of people without electricity or running water in the dead of a freezing winter.

The Patriot is deemed to be one of the most advanced US air defence systems, offering protection against attacking aircraft as well as cruise and ballistic missiles.

"...Weapons, weapons and more weapons. It is important to personally explain why we need certain types of weapons," Podolyak said. "In particular, armoured vehicles, the latest missile defence systems and long-range missiles."

Zelenskiy has made a point of staying close to his people during the war and advocating for his former Soviet state on the world stage, with daring trips to battlefronts, countless calls with world leaders and videolink speeches to parliaments and international institutions.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told MSNBC that diplomacy would be discussed with Zelenskiy, but the Ukrainian leader would be put under no pressure for peace talks.

Kirby said Washington was seeing no sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin was willing to engage in peacemaking.

"Clearly we're going to make sure that President Zelenskiy, when he leaves this country, knows that he's leaving with the full support of the United States going forward," Kirby told MSNBC in a separate interview earlier.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it saw no chance of peace talks with Kyiv. In a call with reporters, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that continued Western arms supplies to Ukraine would lead to a "deepening" of the conflict.

Putin was defiant on Wednesday at an end-of-year meeting of top defence chiefs, saying Russian forces were fighting like heroes in Ukraine.

He said there were no financial limits on what the government would provide in terms of equipment and hardware, but the army had to learn from and fix the problems it had experienced in Ukraine.

He gave his backing to a plan by his defence minister to boost the size of the armed forces by more than 30 per cent to 1.5 million combat personnel. A call-up of 300,000 reservists in September was plagued with problems, with many men physically unfit or too old and lacking basic equipment.

© RAW 2022

Police, prosecutors and the victim's support service who handled rape allegations made by Brittany Higgins will be investigated by an independent inquiry.

The inquiry will investigate extraordinary claims by the territory's top prosecutor and ACT police about each other's conduct.

Ms Higgins' former colleague Bruce Lehrmann was tried in the ACT Supreme Court in October before it was derailed due to juror misconduct.

The charges against him were later dropped because of concerns about the impact a second trial would have on Ms Higgins' mental health.

Mr Lehrmann denied the allegation he raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.

After the charges were dropped, it emerged ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold raised concerns about "political and police conduct".

He also wrote to the police chief accusing his members of pressuring him not to prosecute Mr Lehrmann.

But the police union hit back at the allegations and accused Mr Drumgold's office of compromising Mr Lehrmann's trial.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury announced an independent inquiry would be established to investigate the matters.

Mr Rattenbury told reporters he was concerned about the allegations raised by police and prosecutors and wanted to ensure criminal matters were handled in a way that was robust, fair and respected the rights of those involved.

The government also wanted to make sure criminal justice entities in the ACT worked together effectively.

But the attorney-general emphasised the inquiry was not about reviewing the trial, evidence presented or its outcomes.

"This trial has been very stressful for all involved," he said.

"While it's important that we do explore the allegations that have arisen in recent weeks ... at the end of the day all the parties involved are human and they do deserve to be treated with a degree of care and respect."

The inquiry will examine interactions between prosecutors and ACT Policing regarding the charges against Mr Lehrmann, as well as the decisions to go ahead with a first trial and then not proceed with a retrial.

It will also look at how the ACT victims of crime commissioner, a support service for people who have experienced crime in the territory, assisted Ms Higgins.

Laws in the ACT related to juror misconduct are also expected to be examined as part of the inquiry.

The inquiry's full scope, as well as the appointment of a legal expert to oversee the matter, will be announced next year.

In a statement, defence lawyer Steven Whybrow said he welcomed the inquiry and hoped it would examine all aspects of the matter and extend to the efforts taken by the DPP to ensure a fair trial.

A spokesperson for ACT Policing said it looked forward to engaging with the inquiry in coming months.

Ms Higgins welcomed the review with the words "sunlight is the best disinfectant" and called for the inquiry to examine potential political interference in the trial.

Mr Barr said an inquiry would investigate whether the functions of the territory's criminal justice system were "discharged with the appropriate rigour, impartiality and independence".

The inquiry is expected to hold public and private hearings.

Mr Rattenbury said the prosecutor's office and the police force had a long, ongoing relationship and the allegations from both sides were serious.

"I hope that this matter does not affect that broader relationship but that is part of the reason we are establishing this inquiry," he said.

"To ensure that where those allegations and those fracture points have been aired, there is an independent forum to investigate them."

A report will be provided to the chief minister by the end of June.

© AAP 2022

Rachel McCrow's "infectious smile" and Matthew Arnold's "broad, cheeky grin" will be forever remembered by their mates in blue.

Police in their hundreds, Queenslanders in their thousands and political leaders from across the spectrum gathered at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Wednesday to attend a heart-wrenching memorial service for the two fallen young officers.

Constable Arnold, 26, and Constable McCrow, 29, were shot dead in an ambush on a Western Downs property at Wieambilla on December 12.

Colleagues trembled and choked back tears as they offered tributes to the pair. They remembered them for their bravery, their professionalism, their positive outlook, and above all for being "so completely determined to help, to be a force for good".

"It has become self-evident that these individuals reflected goodness in their lives," Police Chaplain Jeffrey Baills told the mourning crowd.

Senior Constable Melissa Gibson urged officers far and wide to emulate Const McCrow, saying she would be proud of them for kitting up and returning to serve their communities despite their grief.

"For every bit of evil in this world, Rach, more than anyone, would be reminding us that there are still good people who need our help," she said.

Senior Sergeant Laura Harriss revealed that in police work, her mate Const Arnold had finally found his passion and purpose in life.

"He was a big man with an even bigger heart so filled with love for everyone around him," she said.

The two have been recognised for their bravery and dedication, posthumously awarded the Queensland Police Valour Medal, Queensland Police Service Medal, National Police Service Medal and National Medal.

"Matthew and Rachel are colleagues and friends who have been taken from us far too soon," Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll told those gathered.

"They were committed and enjoyed their policing careers and their passing is a tragic loss.

"Both the Queensland Police Service and community have lost two exceptional police officers."

Ms Carroll said the slain officers had created a positive impression and touched the lives of countless individuals and families "in ways that cannot be expressed in words alone".

Yet shock and anger about the ambush, which resulted in the worst loss of police lives in Queensland in living memory, remains palpable.

"What happened on December 12 was un-Australian and does not belong in this country," Rev Baills said.

"It was abhorrent, it was not of God, It was absolute evil.

"This barbaric act has shocked our community and it's irreparably damaged the Arnold family and the McCrow family, and we stand and we sit with you in your grief today and in the days that lie ahead."

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk praised the pair's bravery in their final moments, saying like neighbour Alan Dare who was also fatally shot in the attack, they had gone towards danger rather than run from it.

"From the smallest communities where Matthew and Rachel served, to our biggest cities, even around the world, we recognise and appreciate that every day, our police demonstrate heroism," the premier said.

"In a sea of blue, on an ocean of tears, we will shoulder this burden together, we will rededicate ourselves to their example of there being far more good than there is evil."

Afterwards, thousands of police, dignitaries and ordinary people formed a guard of honour as the two coffins were taken by hearse to private funerals.

The procession was piped off by the police band and led by dozens of cops on motorcycles, with mounties, dog squad officers and patrol cars following. Two police helicopters circled and some officers even stood to salute in boats on surrounding ponds.

The two constables were attacked alongside two others, constables Keely Brough and Randall Kirk.

They had gone to the property for a missing persons check and were met by a hail of bullets fired by Gareth Train, his wife Stacey and brother Nathaniel. The shooters died in the subsequent firefight.

Investigators are yet to officially declare a motive but are examining known links between the Trains and extreme conspiracy theorist groups and forums.

Wednesday's service was also attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan and Governor Jeannette Young.

© AAP 2022