Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to halt the recruitment of Ghanaians to fight in Ukraine following appeals from Ghana's leadership. President John Mahama raised concerns during the Russia-Africa summit, prompting Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to announce the decision. Putin stated Ghanaians would no longer participate, whether through irregular recruitment or as volunteers.
This follows assurances from Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in August to end "illegal recruitment." At that time, Ablakwa reported 62 Ghanaians had died and 15 were missing in the conflict. Russia has increasingly recruited Africans to address military personnel shortages. Despite appeals from other African nations like Kenya and South Africa, who secured repatriation of deceived citizens, Russia continues enlistment from the continent.
Beyond the war issue, Ghana and Russia agreed to develop a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant to bolster energy security. The two nations also reached a new defense pact covering equipment for Ghana's armed forces.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing