The European Union is set to formalise a new defence partnership with Ghana in the coming days, as the bloc broadens its global security cooperation in response to rising geopolitical risks.
The agreement will be signed alongside similar arrangements with Australia and Iceland, according to the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who said the initiative reflects growing international efforts to strengthen strategic alliances.
Speaking in Brussels, Kallas said more countries are “knocking at our door” as governments seek closer security relationships with the EU amid what she described as “heightened risk” in the global security environment.
The planned cooperation with Ghana is expected to deepen collaboration in areas such as security coordination and counter-terrorism, particularly as instability in the Sahel continues to affect West Africa’s security landscape.
Ghana’s participation reflects its growing role as a stable democratic partner in the region and a strategic gateway to the Gulf of Guinea, an area increasingly important for maritime security and trade routes.
For the EU, the partnerships form part of a broader effort to expand defence cooperation beyond its borders while building a network of trusted partners across key regions. Kallas noted that “a growing number of countries” are seeking to diversify their alliances as governments adapt to shifting geopolitical realities.
The EU has in recent years stepped up defence coordination through initiatives designed to strengthen military capabilities and joint procurement among member states, while also pursuing external partnerships to address emerging security threats.
The forthcoming agreement with Ghana would mark one of the bloc’s first defence cooperation frameworks with an African state, underscoring the EU’s increasing focus on security engagement in West Africa.
The partnerships are expected to be finalised in the coming days, although detailed operational provisions have not yet been publicly disclosed.
