President John Dramani Mahama has called for an end to the conflicts that trouble the world and welcomed President Vladimir Putin’s readiness to resume talks on the war in Ukraine. He spoke at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
President Mahama explained that wars bring death and suffering and disrupt global logistics and value chains, and he paired the peace appeal with offers of cooperation in trade, energy and technology. He had earlier signalled his intent to press President Putin on a ceasefire during an official visit to the United Kingdom.
“Mr. President, we appreciate your willingness to resume trilateral talks in respect of the conflict with Ukraine and your call for a lasting peace agreement and security for both Russia and Ukraine.”
President John Dramani Mahama
Mahama Presses for an End to Global Conflict
President Mahama told the summit that the world is “currently plagued by conflict and insecurity.” The fighting has also severely disrupted global trade routes and supply chains, he noted.
“Ghana calls for an amicable resolution of these various conflicts ongoing around the world.” He extended the appeal to terrorism. President Mahama asked for international cooperation and solidarity in that fight, especially in the territories of the alliance of Sahelian states.
His remarks arrive as other leaders engage Moscow. The leaders of Finland and Norway discussed Ukraine peace with Putin earlier this week, while President Donald Trump condemned Ukraine’s renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries this month.
President Mahama framed Ghana’s own position around a “tradition of non-alignment,” respect for sovereignty and equality. Ghana, he stated, seeks friendship with all countries and partnerships that advance its development priorities.
Gratitude and a Personal Link to Russia
President Mahama thanked Putin and the Russian people for decades of solidarity with Africa. He recalled that Russia stood with the continent against colonialism and apartheid, and that it trained thousands of African students.
He counts himself among them, having studied in Moscow on a full scholarship from 1986 to 1988. With Ghana set to mark 70 years of independence next year, he noted, the country salutes Russia’s support for decolonisation.
President Mahama described Africa as a continent of the future and invited Russian firms to invest in agro-processing, fertiliser production, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals, energy, transport infrastructure and the digital economy.
Ghana offers cocoa, cashew, shea nut, horticulture, mineral processing and manufacturing, and its position on the Gulf of Guinea and its hosting of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat support investors.
He asked for joint ventures that build local expertise and open doors for small and medium businesses. He also called for easier access for African goods to Russian markets and for trade settlements that use local currencies and digital payment systems, with central banks, commercial banks and fintech firms playing a role.
Farming and Food Security
President Mahama pointed to Russia’s experience in fertiliser, machinery and research. Reliable supplies at competitive prices would help farmers plan with more confidence, he explained, and local production and blending would add resilience.
He also named soil mapping, precision agriculture and satellite data as areas for cooperation, because technology matters when it helps a farmer decide better, cut costs and protect a harvest.
The President identified electric power as a major obstacle to Africa’s progress and saw Russia’s strength in renewables and nuclear energy as a way forward. He recalled that the Soviet Union gave Ghana a two-megawatt research reactor in 1964 and trained Ghanaian scientists to operate it.
Ghana has now opened talks with Rosatom on its first nuclear power station, he disclosed, as part of a diversified mix that includes renewables. The Vaultz News earlier reported that Mahama signalled nuclear and solar cooperation with Russia.
AI and Digital Innovation
President Mahama stated that artificial intelligence is changing how economies produce, how governments serve and how people learn, and he wants Africa to help shape that change.
Ghana seeks practical cooperation on AI in agriculture, healthcare, education, municipal services, transport management, tax and revenue collection, and environmental monitoring.
He proposed a Russia-Africa Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence programme linking African universities, research institutions, businesses and public agencies for joint research, pilot projects, skills development and technology transfer. The proposal is detailed in a report on his Ghana-Russia AI partnership plan.
President Mahama closed by urging leaders to leave Moscow with a clear commitment to action. The best proof of friendship between Russia and Africa, he argued, will be the progress that people see in their communities and in their lives.
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