Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to prevent Ghanaian citizens from participating in the war in Ukraine, Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said.

Ablakwa said that Putin made the commitment during a meeting with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama at the Kremlin following the third Russia-Africa Summit, according to ASTRA.

"Responding to the concerns raised by President Mahama, Putin stated that Ghanaian citizens are no longer permitted to participate in the conflict in Ukraine. This ban applies under all circumstances, whether through illegal recruitment or on their own initiative," Ablakwa said.

According to the Ukrainian government-backed project I Want to Live, nearly 29,000 foreign nationals have signed contracts with Russia's armed forces since 2022.

In August, Ghana's foreign minister reported that 62 Ghanaian citizens had been killed in the war against Ukraine.

Moscow has denied allegations of illegally recruiting foreign nationals, maintaining that citizens of other countries can voluntarily enlist in its armed forces.