Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed his commitment to further develop bilateral relations with Russia.

Ramaphosa called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

He said in a tweet that he had wanted to "gain an understanding of the situation that was unfolding between Russia and Ukraine".

"I outlined our position on the conflict that has unfolded as well as our belief that the conflict should be resolved through mediation and negotiation between the parties and - if need be - with the help of agencies that can help bring a solution to the conflict," Ramaphosa said on his Twitter account.

"President Putin appreciated our balanced approach. We believe this position enables both parties to subject the conflict to mediation and negotiation. Based on our relations with the Russian Federation and as member of BRICS, South Africa has been approached to play a mediation role."

Ramaphosa's spokesperson has not yet responded to questions about the conversation.

In a statement, the Kremlin said the leaders had exchanged congratulations on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and South Africa.

The two presidents also "reaffirmed their commitment to further develop the bilateral strategic partnership, noting, in particular, their readiness to expand trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation, as well as joint Covid-19 response efforts".

"The presidents underscored the importance of continuing interaction within the BRICS framework and at other international venues."

The statement further noted that, at the request of Ramaphosa, Putin spoke about the "reasons for and goals of the special military operation to protect Donbas".

"He also informed the South African leader about the situation regarding talks with representatives of the Ukrainian authorities."

"The President of South Africa supported the ongoing political and diplomatic efforts," the Kremlin said.

The conversation happened as Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its 15th day. While talks are under way between Russia and Ukraine, the war, which the bombing of cities has exacerbated, continues.

The South African government has been accused of fence-sitting by not taking sides in the conflict.

At the beginning of March, South Africa abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution on the escalating conflict, refusing to label and reprimand Russia as the aggressor.

Ramaphosa later defended this decision, arguing that the war between the two counties should be ended through mediation.

News24 reported that Ramaphosa said South Africa had abstained because the resolution did not "foreground the call for meaningful engagement".

"Prior to the resolution being passed at the UN last week, talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials had already started. South Africa expected that the UN resolution would foremost welcome the commencement of dialogue between the parties and seek to create the conditions for these talks to succeed."

"Instead, the call for a peaceful resolution through political dialogue is relegated to a single sentence close to the conclusion of the final text. This does not provide the encouragement and international backing that the parties need to continue with their efforts," he said.