President John Dramani Mahama secured six commitments from Russia in bilateral talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, October 30, 2026. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the outcomes, and the Presidency confirmed them.
The commitments cover nuclear energy, defence, agriculture, education, the recruitment of Ghanaians into the war in Ukraine and the revival of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC).
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit, where Mahama had urged Russia to move beyond political ties and make the relationship deliver economic benefits.
“In direct talks with President Vladimir Putin, President John Mahama has secured the following concrete commitments.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Russia to Work on a 2,000 Megawatt Nuclear Plant
The headline commitment concerns power. Hon Ablakwa disclosed that Russia will work with Ghana to establish a 2,000 megawatt nuclear power plant, which he argued will “guarantee energy security and anchor industrialization.”
He linked the plan to the vision of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who began preparatory works for nuclear power before a coup in 1966 cut them short.
President Mahama had already told the summit that Ghana opened talks with Rosatom on its first nuclear power station. He recalled that the Soviet Union supplied a two-megawatt research reactor in 1964, and he signalled nuclear and solar cooperation with Moscow.
Defence, Farming and Scholarships
Hon Ablakwa announced a new defence pact to acquire strategic military assets for the Ghana Armed Forces, which he called globally respected. The Presidency described the outcome more broadly as enhanced defence cooperation. Neither statement names the assets or the terms of the pact.
On farming, the two countries will deepen cooperation to raise grain production and supply fertilisers. The pledge follows President Mahama’s summit invitation to Russian firms, in which he targeted investment in fertiliser, pharmaceuticals and infrastructure.
Russia will also increase scholarships for Ghanaian students, according to Hon Ablakwa. He noted that Ghana now ranks second among African nations in the number of its students there. Mahama himself studied in Moscow on a full scholarship from 1986 to 1988.
Putin Bars Ghanaians From the War in Ukraine
The fifth commitment answers a concern that President Mahama raised directly with Putin. Hon Ablakwa announced the outcome. “Following concerns raised by President Mahama, President Putin has declared that Ghanaians are no longer allowed to participate in the war with Ukraine.”
He added that the policy applies in all circumstances, whether recruitment is irregular or a Ghanaian volunteers. The Presidency listed the recruitment of Ghanaians into the war among the six outcomes but gave no further detail. At the summit, President Mahama also encouraged Putin to resume peace talks with Ukraine.
Joint Commission Set to Meet Again
The last commitment revives the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC), the framework that governs political and economic cooperation between the two governments. Hon Ablakwa stated that Moscow stands ready to host it within the next few weeks.
Hon Ablakwa recalled that Ghana and Russia have kept cordial and mutually beneficial formal bilateral relations since 1958. He called the summit a really successful one for Ghana. The Vaultz News also reported that Ghana won Russian support for its BRICS partner country bid during the visit.
Neither the Presidency nor Hon Ablakwa gave a timeline or a price for the nuclear plant or the defence pact, and the Kremlin has not yet released its own account of the talks.
The six commitments mark a renewed effort to deepen Ghana-Russia relations through energy, defence, agriculture, education and security cooperation. However, their significance will depend on how quickly both governments translate the announcements into formal agreements, clear implementation timelines and tangible outcomes.
The proposed revival of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation will therefore be an important test of whether the Moscow discussions can deliver lasting benefits for Ghana
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