Ghana and Russia have agreed on a new defence pact where Russia will provide the Ghana Armed Forces with strategic military assets.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the agreement on Saturday, October 31, 2026, and said the decisions followed direct talks between President John Dramani Mahama and Vladimir Putin on October 30, during which President Mahama raised concerns about the recruitment of Ghanaians to fight in the conflict.
Mr Ablakwa described the outcomes of the meeting as concrete commitments secured by President Mahama during the meeting.
Aside the defence agreement, President Putin also agreed to stop the recruitment of Ghanaians to participate in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine following concerns raised by President Mahama.
He said the restriction covered both voluntary enlistment and irregular recruitment, ruling out all forms of participation by Ghanaians in the war.
The development follows growing concerns over the number of Ghanaians who have reportedly been recruited to fight for Russia since the conflict began in 2022.
During a visit to Kyiv in February 2026, Mr Ablakwa said about 272 Ghanaians were believed to have been lured into the war, citing information from Ukrainian authorities.
He said at least 55 of them had been killed.
Figures reported at the time showed that 17 Ghanaians were recruited in 2023, 53 in 2024 and 202 in 2025.
In August, after a three-day meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, Mr Ablakwa put the death toll at 62. He also disclosed that 15 other Ghanaians who had travelled to Russia were missing.
At the August meeting, Mr Lavrov alleged that Ghanaians had signed contracts with Russia's Defence Ministry out of solidarity and for material and financial reasons.
President Mahama had earlier indicated his intention to raise the issue during his visit to Moscow.
Below is what Mr Ablakwa wrote in his statement
It has been a really successful Russia-Africa Summit.
In direct talks with President Vladimir Putin, President John Mahama has secured the following concrete commitments:
1) Russia has agreed to work with Ghana to establish a 2,000 megawatts nuclear power plant to guarantee energy security and anchor industrialization. This is a revival of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah’s vision for which he commenced preparatory works but was truncated by the coup of February 28, 1966;
2) A new defence pact to acquire strategic military assets for the globally respected Ghana Armed Forces;
3) Ghana and Russia will enhance our agricultural cooperation aimed at boosting grain production and provision of fertilizers;
4) Russia will increase scholarships for Ghanaian students. Ghana now ranks second as the African nation with the most number of students;
5) Following concerns raised by President Mahama, President Putin has declared that Ghanaians are no longer allowed to participate in the war with Ukraine. This policy applies to all circumstances whether through irregular recruitments or expression of voluntary interests;
6) Ghana and Russia will revive our PJCC with Moscow ready to host in the next few weeks.
Ghana and Russia have maintained cordial and mutually beneficial formal bilateral relations since 1958.
For God and Country
