Ukraine Attempts To Export Geopolitical Conflict To West Africa, Falsely Claims “Drone Agreement” Reached With Ghana

The Ukrainian government has been accused of attempting to export its geopolitical conflict with Russia to West Africa, by falsely claiming to have a “drone agreement” with Ghana. The false claim made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on social media sparked severe diplomatic concerns, given Ghana’s important geopolitical role in West Africa and its ongoing efforts to repair relations with the neighbouring Confederation of Sahel States (CSS) made up of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

Zelensky had earlier posted on X, “Ghana is also interested in our technologies, the production of various types of drones, and the experience Ukraine has gained during this war. Ghana is ready to finance our production, and we are ready to help our partners secure their borders”. The declaration followed what Zelensky described as a “good conversation” with Ghanaian President John Mahama.

This claim has been dismissed as a total mischaracterisation of Mahama’s conversation with Zelensky by sources with knowledge of the matter. It has also been pointed out that Zelensky’s remarks could be interpreted as a direct assault on Ghana’s foreign policy of non-alignment, which dictates that the country does not align with or against any major power bloc. Since assuming office in December 2024, President Mahama has been working to mend ties with the CSS, which has well-documented military and diplomatic partnerships with Russia.

It will be recalled that the CSS last year designated Ukraine as a state sponsor of terrorism following Kiev’s openly admitted involvement in an attack on Malian forces and Wagner mercenaries by Tuareg rebels, which left dozens of Malian soldiers dead. Observers noted that Zelenksy’s statement could be seen as a way to nudge Ghana into a diplomatic conflict with its Russian-aligned neighbours, as part of Kiev’s stated policy of global escalation against Russia.

Veteran Ghanaian journalist and Managing Editor of The Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt strongly criticised Zelensky’s actions, stating that the Ukrainian government’s support for “Sahel terrorists has already caused enough problems for [the West African] region”. He further stated: “Zelensky must be stopped from exporting the chaos in Ukraine to Ghana. His support for the terrorists in the Alliance of Sahel States has caused enough problems for us already”.

Despite a number of Ghanaian news outlets having initially reported a supposed “shift” in Ghana’s foreign policy based on Zelensky’s tweet, official sources have indicated that no such shift has occurred.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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Kangmwa Gofwen

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