Associate Professor and Dean of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), Prof. Etse Sikanku, has lauded President John Dramani Mahama’s intention to appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, saying the move positions President Mahama as a global peacemaker and elevates Ghana’s diplomatic standing.
President Mahama, speaking at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London, said he would appeal to President Putin to agree to a ceasefire when he travels to Russia for the Russia-Africa Summit next week.
Reacting to President Mahama’s statement during Metro TV’s Newsnight on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Prof. Sikanku said the appeal should not be judged solely on whether President Mahama could persuade President Putin. He observed that, from a political communication perspective, the move frames President Mahama in three critical ways.
“What kind of communication is he sending out to the audiences, and how does that position Ghana in the diplomatic space? And what role does that communication have in Ghana’s own diplomatic stance?” he queried.
Prof. Sikanku further explained that the appeal establishes President Mahama as a peacemaker who prefers dialogue and negotiation to aggression.
“It establishes President Mahama as a peacemaker, as somebody who is not interested in aggression but [prefers] dialogue, deliberation and negotiation as a preferable means of ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” he told Akua Ababio.
He said the move also presents President Mahama as an international mediator willing to engage powerful states rather than confining his diplomatic efforts to Ghana. It also reinforces Ghana’s position as an important member of the international community.
Prof. Sikanku added that, as someone expected to lead the African Union (AU), the move helps establish President Mahama’s leadership credentials not only as Ghana’s president but also as an African leader.
“Above all, it also positions Ghana as a non-aligned African state. So, it positions the President as somebody who is willing not to take sides but willing to engage people from different blocs and reach out to maintain relationships across different geopolitical backgrounds.”
President Mahama is expected to travel to Russia next week for the Russia-Africa Summit, where he says he will urge President Putin to halt hostilities in Ukraine.
By 1960news.com
