Today’s ESG Updates
- Ukraine – Russia Peace Talks Gain Momentum: President Zelenskiy says security guarantees are finalised after talks with Donald Trump, but no breakthrough has been reached on disputed land.
- NATO Seeks to Block Chinese and Russian Access to Greenland: The United States and Denmark plan to renegotiate their 1951 Greenland Defence Pact, as NATO allies step up Arctic security efforts.
- Greenland Deal Rattles Transatlantic Trust Despite Market Relief: President Donald Trump said the U.S. has secured permanent access to Greenland under a NATO framework deal.
- Investors Bet on AI to Unlock Hidden Geothermal Resources: Geothermal start-up Zanskar raised $115 million to scale its AI-powered discovery platform and build carbon-free geothermal power plants across the western United States.
Security guarantees finalised, territory still unresolved
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said security guarantees for Ukraine have been finalised following talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Davos, but the critical issue of territory remains unresolved in efforts to end the war with Russia. Zelenskiy described the meeting as positive and confirmed that negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States will hold their first trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are also travelling to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin, signalling intensified diplomatic engagement. Russia continues to demand territorial concessions from Ukraine, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region. The flurry of high-level meetings has raised cautious optimism that progress toward ending Europe’s deadliest war since World War Two may be possible.
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Further reading: Zelenskiy, after Trump talks, says territorial issue still unsolved
Trump, NATO chief discuss arctic security at Davos
The United States and Denmark are preparing to renegotiate their 1951 defence agreement covering Greenland, following discussions between President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Davos. The review aims to update provisions that already allow expanded U.S. troop deployments with Danish and Greenlandic approval, while stopping short of transferring sovereignty over American bases. NATO allies are expected to boost Arctic security amid rising geopolitical competition. Rutte said the talks included efforts to prevent Chinese and Russian access to Greenland’s economy or military facilities. Trump’s earlier comments on Greenland had unsettled NATO partners and renewed focus on Arctic defence.
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Further reading: US, Denmark to Renegotiate 1951 Greenland Defence Pact
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Trump claims ‘total access’ to Greenland in NATO framework deal
President Donald Trump said he had secured “total access” to Greenland under a NATO framework deal, calling it “permanent” and without a time limit, as the alliance seeks to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said allies must step up their commitments, adding, “I have no doubt we can do this quite fast.”
However, Denmark and Greenland pushed back strongly. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said, “Sovereignty is a red line,” adding, “We have to respect our territorial integrity.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said no talks had taken place over sovereignty and described the situation as “still difficult and serious.” While Trump ruled out taking Greenland by force and eased tariff threats, triggering a rebound in European markets. EU leaders remain wary of U.S. reliability, with diplomats saying trust in the transatlantic relationship has been shaken.
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Further reading: Trump touts ‘total access’ Greenland deal as NATO asks allies to step up
Funding to accelerate carbon-free power development across western U.S.
AI-powered geothermal startup Zanskar has secured $115 million in Series C funding to scale its carbon-free energy platform and accelerate geothermal power development in the western United States. Founded in 2021, the Salt Lake City–based company uses artificial intelligence, computational geoscience, and advanced drilling to uncover previously hidden geothermal resources and reduce exploration risk. CTO Joel Edwards said, “The resources we need are out there, hidden within the Earth’s crust,” underscoring the company’s focus on identifying high-quality geothermal hotspots.
CEO Carl Hoiland said Zanskar was founded on the belief that “AI would have as profound an impact on geothermal cost and scalability as modern drilling technologies have,” enabling more power generation from each site and creating “a terawatt-scale opportunity.” The funding round, led by Spring Lane Capital, will support a gigawatt-scale project pipeline and construction of multiple geothermal plants, with initial power delivery expected before 2030.
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Further reading: Geothermal Startup Zanskar Raises $115 Million to Find and Develop Carbon-Free Energy Using AI
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: Zelensky says progress has been made with the U.S. Cover Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons / The White House
