Australian shares are set to fall on Monday, taking their cue from a weaker session on Wall Street on Friday, as tensions in Ukraine and the United States warning of an imminent Russian invasion hurt investor sentiment.

The share price index futures fell 0.7%, a 127.7 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark fell 1% on Friday.

Australian shares end lower as banks drag amid crisis in Ukraine

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index was down 0.1% in early trading.