Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to halt the recruitment of Ghanaians to fight in Ukraine after concerns raised by President John Dramani Mahama, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said, according to GhanaWeb / Reuters / Bloomberg.

The commitment reportedly followed Mahama–Putin bilateral talks on 30 October 2026 on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa summit. Ablakwa wrote on 31 October that Putin declared Ghanaians may no longer take part in the war under any circumstances — neither through irregular recruitment nor voluntary enlistment.

Background: in July 2026 Ablakwa said about 272 Ghanaians had reportedly been drawn into the conflict through fraudulent overseas job schemes; at that time 55 deaths and two prisoners of war were reported. In August, after meetings with Lavrov, the toll rose to 62 dead and 15 missing.

The same diplomatic package includes, according to the minister, cooperation on a 2,000 MW nuclear plant, a new defence pact, agricultural support and more scholarships. Moscow has not yet publicly confirmed the recruitment ban, Ukrainska Pravda / Reuters note.

The announcement comes as Russia continues to recruit foreigners — some estimates put the figure near 1,800 a month — and Accra presses to protect young people lured by false job offers.

Image: John Dramani Mahama (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Sources consulted: Russia agrees to halt recruitment of Ghanaians to fight in Ukraine - GhanaWeb; Russia agrees to halt recruitment of Ghanaians for Ukraine war - Bloomberg.