Ukraine's ambassador to SA, Liubov Abravitova, also said that Ukraine was keenly awaiting an invitation from President Cyril Ramaphosa to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit South Africa.

Listen to this article 7 min Listen to this article 7 min As South Africa prepares to take over the presidency of the G20 in December, Ukraine is hoping that Pretoria will invite President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit, which it hosts next year, to push for peace in his country.

Ukraine is also keenly awaiting an invitation from President Cyril Ramaphosa to Zelensky to visit South Africa even sooner than the summit.

"I'm confident that the success of South African leadership in the G20 will not be possible without engagement with Ukraine, without assisting Ukraine to find a just and sustainable peace because Russian aggression has affected the different security issues of the globe and of the African continent," said Ukraine's ambassador to SA, Liubov Abravitova.

"And South Africa will need to face them during their presidency of the G20."

Briefing journalists in Cape Town on the first 1,000 days of Russia's war against her country, Abravitova said Zelensky should also have been invited to this year's G20 summit which is taking place now in Rio de Janeiro.

"I don't see any reason why Ukraine shouldn't be invited to the summit in Rio. And then if Ukraine is...