The South African government has requested an opportunity for President Cyril Ramaphosa to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a long time.

According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), Ukraine's Ambassador to South Africa, Liubov Abravitova is not responding.

This is according to Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela in response to a video in which Abravitova calls on South Africa to be on the right "side of history" amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Russia has bombed our schools, our hospitals, our theatres, and our churches. Our cities are in ruins. Even some of my embassy staff have no homes to return to. You need to be on the right side of history. You cannot allow this brutal war to continue. Please stand up for the people of Ukraine," she said.

In response to Abravitova's video, Monyela tweeted: "Ambassador, you know this is wrong and undiplomatic. You met Dirco diplomats on 3 March. [Our] head of Europe branch several times [and the] President's international relations advisor."

Monyela said Deputy Dirco Minister Alvin Botes also met Abravitova.

"We've long made a request for President Cyril Ramaphosa to speak to your President. You're not responding," Monyela tweeted.

Previously, Dirco Minister Naledi Pandor said South Africa could not be seen as taking sides in the conflict after Russia's invasion of Ukraine because it goes against the nation's principles.

In February, Dirco issued a statement in which South Africa called on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine, in line with the United Nations Charter.

Days later, Pandor backtracked on her earlier statement that Russia should withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine.

South Africa has, so far, refused to condemn Russia's aggression, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza recently blaming the war in Ukraine on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) eastward expansion, despite the patently false reasons President Vladimir Putin has provided publicly for ordering military action.

Thousands have died in the war, and millions of Ukrainians have fled the country.