Abbott speaks with Putin on MH17 (AAP)

View Comments AAP PM Tony Abbott held talks over downed flight MH17 with Russian president Vladimir Putin overnight.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has spoken with Russian president Vladimir Putin about MH17 amid concerns Russian-backed rebels are hampering an investigation.

The discussion came as Foreign Minister Julie Bishop landed in the US to push for a UN-backed resolution to secure international access to the crash site in eastern Ukraine.

She expects Russia and all other countries on the UN Security Council to back the resolution.

Mr Abbott spoke to his Russian counterpart overnight.

Almost 300 people were killed, including 37 Australian citizens and residents, when MH17 was shot down last week.

Mr Abbott said Ukrainian government officials had now gained some access to the site in rebel-controlled territory, but the situation was still completely unacceptable.

"The site is being treated more like a garden clean-up than a forensic investigation," he said.

"The wreckage has been picked over, it's been trashed, it's been trampled."

Australian experts are in Kiev, ready to travel to the crash site controlled by pro-Russian militiamen, who have loaded almost 200 bodies into refrigerated train wagons.

Mr Abbott said an Australian military aircraft was on standby to "play our part to ensure that we get justice for the dead and closure for the living".

Ms Bishop said the government was committed to returning the bodies of the victims to their families.

"They have been murdered and the Australian government will not rest until we're able to bring the bodies home to the Australian families who are waiting for them," she said.

A team of international forensic experts is waiting to be granted access to the bodies on the refrigerated train in the village of Torez, near the crash site.

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