The South African government maintains that diplomacy and dialogue is the only path to resolving the bloody war between Russia and Ukraine.

A year after Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, South Africa has not shifted its position on the invasion and has maintained a neutral stance on the matter.

Responding to the UN General Assembly vote on Thursday demanding that Russia pull its troops out of Ukraine, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said South Africa continued to express its deep regrets about the war in Ukraine.

In a statement, Dirco said the war continued to destroy innocent lives and critical infrastructure, as well as displacing millions.

"This is a war whose impact has resonated across the globe, affecting the livelihoods of the most vulnerable, and heightening the current debilitating global food, fuel, and finance crisis. South Africa wishes to stress its unwavering belief in the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter. We believe that sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all states should be sacrosanct, and this also applies to Ukraine," it said.

Dirco added that urgent action was needed to end the war.

"However, it is a sad indictment of our efforts that we as the international community have been unable to come up with concrete proposals to create the conditions to do so. As South Africa has stated before in this Assembly, diplomacy and dialogue is the only path that will lead to a sustainable and peaceful resolution of the conflict."

In October, South Africa was one of 35 countries that abstained from a vote condemning Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories. 

At the time, members of the UN General Assembly voted against the annexation of partially occupied territories in Ukraine, including the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

North Korea, Belarus, Syria, Nicaragua and Russia itself were the only countries that voted against the resolution. It was passed after 143 countries voted in its favour.

"This resolution on the war in Ukraine, comes amidst an influx of arms to the region, perpetuating greater acts of violence and increased human suffering. This, together with the threat of nuclear war makes peace seem less attainable. Over the last year, the UN General Assembly has adopted a series of resolutions on Ukraine," Dirco said.

"As we have asked the Assembly before, are our words and actions focused on the maintenance of peace OR creating further divisions that make the attainment of immediate peace less likely?"

Dirco said that while it supported the current resolution's focus on the principles of the charter and international law, "it sadly brings us no closer to laying the foundations for durable peace and bringing an end to the devastation and destruction".

A firm unequivocal commitment to peace, from all parties was needed, it added.

"A resolution calling for peace without firm action will ring hollow."