💰📈🔌🔋🇦🇷🇧🇷🇺🇾Tether plans to acquire a 51% stake in South American energy firm Adecoagro in a deal worth $1.24 billion.

Tether plans to acquire a majority stake in South American agribusiness firm Adecoagro, expanding its investments amid record profits and growing financial influence.

Tether, the issuer of the USDt stablecoin, is seeking to expand its investment portfolio by acquiring a majority stake in South American firm Adecoagro.

Adecoagro, an agro-industrial company operating in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, received an “unsolicited non-binding proposal” from Tether’s venture division, Tether Investments, to purchase a majority stake in the firm, according to an announcement on Feb. 18.

As part of the deal, Tether would acquire outstanding common Adecoagro shares at $12.41 each.

The stablecoin issuer is already a shareholder of Adecoagro, holding about 19.4% of its outstanding shares, the announcement noted.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/tether-plans-majority-stake-acquisition-adecoagro

@FelipeChannel

🗣💬🇺🇸🤝🇷🇺📍🇸🇦 — ⭐️ Rybar:

"🇷🇺🇺🇸 Statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a press conference following talks in Riyadh

🔻 Key statements:

▪️There is reason to believe that the American side has begun to better listen to Russia’s position – the conversation was very useful.

▪️Representatives of the Russian Federation and the United States have been instructed to discuss what needs to be done to prepare for the meeting between Putin and Trump. Preparations are underway for a meeting between the deputy heads of the diplomatic departments of the Russian Federation and the United States.

▪️Russia and the United States agree that when their interests do not coincide, they should not provoke a conflict, but solve problems and create conditions for cooperation to resume in full and expand into different areas.

▪️It is necessary to remove the Biden administration's obstacles that make it difficult for diplomats to work, including constant expulsions and property seizures.

▪️A process for Ukrainian regulation will be formed in the near future. As soon as the Russian authorities find out who will represent Washington, they will immediately designate their participant in the process.

▪️The US stated that the message about the “three-step plan” for the so-called Ukraine is fake.

▪️Russia explained to the US that NATO's absorption of the so-called Ukraine would be a direct threat. The appearance of troops from the same NATO countries, but under the EU or other flags, is unacceptable.

▪️The Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on an oil pumping station in Krasnodar Krai is an attack on Kazakhstan's energy infrastructure. It should strengthen everyone's opinion that Zelensky needs to be slapped on the wrist.

▪️The US proposed introducing a moratorium on attacks on energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine."

🔗 Source

🇺🇸🤝🇷🇺📍🇸🇦🕊🇺🇦 — 🇩🇪 BILD:

"❗️Russia-US talks conclude in Saudi Arabia

Negotiations involving Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have concluded in Riyadh. The meeting lasted almost five hours, and, as the TASS agency writes, it is difficult to talk about any rapprochement of positions. Nevertheless, key issues of bilateral relations were discussed.

The Moscow Times also confirms that the first round of talks has been completed. However, details have not yet been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the parties have reached any agreement.

As Vladimir Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov stated, the negotiations went "not badly" and the delegations had "a serious discussion on all issues."

“Russia and the United States have agreed to advance bilateral relations, and both Moscow and Washington are interested in this”

— he said.

Ushakov added that "separate teams" of negotiators from the US and Russia will begin contacts on Ukraine "in due course." The US State Department, in turn, noted that one meeting is not enough to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.

Meanwhile, the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin remains in question. According to TASS, the exact date has not yet been determined, and the meeting is unlikely to take place next week."

🔗 Source:

🗣💬🇺🇸🤝🇷🇺 — ✔️ TASS:

"🗣 The main points from Sergey Lavrov’s statements following the talks in Riyadh:

▪️ The conversation with the US representatives was very useful, the parties began to listen and hear each other;

▪️ Russia and the United States agreed to ensure the earliest possible appointment of ambassadors in Washington and Moscow;

▪️ The US will announce who will represent them on the issue of settlement in Ukraine, and the Russian Federation will immediately do the same;

▪️ The Russian Federation and the United States are interested in resuming consultations on geopolitical issues and removing barriers to economic cooperation. The parties will try to create conditions for resuming cooperation in full;

▪️ Mutual understanding between the Russian Federation and the United States on a number of issues does not mean a rapprochement of positions;

▪️ The Russian Federation and the United States have practically agreed to resolve “once and for all” issues with the functioning of the diplomatic missions of the two countries;

▪️ The US has said that the report about a three-point plan for Ukraine is fake;

▪️ Russia explained to the US that NATO's absorption of Ukraine would be a direct threat to Moscow;

▪️ The United States proposed introducing a moratorium on attacks on energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine;

▪️ The presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory is unacceptable for the Russian Federation;

▪️ Zelensky's stunt with the attack on the pumping station in Kuban suggests that it's time for him to get a slap on the wrist;

▪️ Russia has sensed the US's complete determination to "move forward", and Moscow is in the same mood."

🔗 Source:

🇺🇸📝🕊🇺🇦 — 🇬🇧 The Telegraph | Revealed: Trump’s confidential plan to put Ukraine in a stranglehold | Panic in Kyiv as US president demands higher share of GDP than Germany’s First World War reparations | February 17, 2025:

"Donald Trump’s demand for a $500bn (£400bn) “payback” from Ukraine goes far beyond US control over the country’s critical minerals. It covers everything from ports and infrastructure to oil and gas, and the larger resource base of the country.

The terms of the contract that landed at Volodymyr Zelensky’s office a week ago amount to the US economic colonisation of Ukraine, in legal perpetuity. It implies a burden of reparations that cannot possibly be achieved. The document has caused consternation and panic in Kyiv.

The Telegraph has obtained a draft of the pre-decisional contract, marked “Privileged & Confidential’ and dated Feb 7 2025. It states that the US and Ukraine should form a joint investment fund to ensure that “hostile parties to the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine”.

The agreement covers the “economic value associated with resources of Ukraine”, including “mineral resources, oil and gas resources, ports, other infrastructure (as agreed)”, leaving it unclear what else might be encompassed. “This agreement shall be governed by New York law, without regard to conflict of laws principles,” it states.
The US will take 50pc of recurring revenues received by Ukraine from extraction of resources, and 50pc of the financial value of “all new licences issued to third parties” for the future monetisation of resources. There will be “a lien on such revenues” in favour of the US. “That clause means ‘pay us first, and then feed your children’,” said one source close to the negotiations."

🗄 Archive

🔗 Source:

🇺🇸⚡️🔫‼️🇲🇽 — 📰 ZeroHedge | US Special Forces Deploy To Mexico For "Training" Mission Following Spy Plane SIGINT Operations | February 18, 2025:

"After two weeks of US Air Force RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft conducting multiple signals intelligence (SIGINT) operations along the US-Mexico border and in international waters off southern Baja California—areas controlled by heavily armed drug cartels—the Mexican Senate Commission has approved the deployment of US Special Forces operators to the country for "training missions."

SOFREP's Guy D. McCardle reports that the Mexican Senate Commission has already approved the US Army's 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Berets to conduct training exercises at a naval facility i" Campeche, a Mexican port city on the Gulf of Mexico. 

🗄 Archive

🔗 Source

🇧🇷💬💥🌐 — Diplomatic crisis: Brazil’s possible accession to OPEC+ (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Allies) has caused divisions within the government. While the Ministry of Mines and Energy, led by Alexandre Silveira (PSD), advocates for immediate entry, the Itamaraty (Foreign Ministry) wants to postpone the decision until 2026, citing concerns about the country's environmental image

❗️ The main concern of Brazilian diplomacy is that joining the oil cartel could undermine Brazil’s position as a leader in the energy transition, especially ahead of COP30, which will be held in November 2025 in Belém (PA).

⁉️ On the other hand, Silveira argues that joining OPEC+ would allow Brazil to influence the group toward adopting more sustainable practices, promoting biofuels as an alternative to oil. The minister also believes that accession would strengthen Brazil in trade negotiations, particularly in response to tariffs imposed by Donald Trump's administration on Brazilian products.

➡️ The invitation for Brazil to join OPEC+ was extended to President Lula (PT) during COP28 in November 2023. The proposal generated strong reactions and shifted focus away from Brazil’s environmental agenda at the event, displeasing several European leaders. To formalize accession, all that is required is approval from the presidential office, but Itamaraty fears that this decision could harm Brazil politically on the international stage at a time when it seeks to solidify its leadership in environmental matters.

Source 🖇

🌐🤝💰 Google Eyes Bitcoin: 'Will Lower Entry Barriers'


Google is collaborating with the Bitcoin ecosystem and working to lower entry barriers to make it more accessible for Web2 users.

Google plans to improve Bitcoin wallets to match Web2 experiences and aims to provide services enabling easier Bitcoin transactions through Google accounts.

The introduction of Bitcoin ETFs serves as collateral assets for financial institutions and was mentioned as a positive factor promoting cryptocurrency adoption in traditional finance.

https://bloomingbit.io/en/feed/news/83489

@FelipeChannel

🇮🇱📱 - Israel has doubled down on its use of Microsoft and OpenAI services to track suspects.

U.S. tech companies have quietly enabled Israel to track and eliminate more alleged militants in Gaza and Lebanon, with a sharp rise in artificial intelligence and computing services accelerating these operations.

- Associated Press

🇺🇸🇲🇽 CIA flying covert drone missions into Mexico to spy on drug cartels

The CIA under President Donald Trump has been covertly flying MQ-9 Reaper drones over Mexico to spy on drug cartels, current and former officials familiar with the matter told CNN, part of Trump’s dramatic reorientation of national security assets to the US southern border.

The missions, which have not been previously reported, come as the Trump administration moves to treat transnational drug cartels as terrorist organizations — a designation it has yet to officially make.

The MQ-9 drones used for the missions are not currently armed. But they can be equipped with payloads to carry out precision strikes. The US regularly uses them to target suspected terrorists in Syria, Iraq and Somalia.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/18/politics/cia-drone-missions-mexico-drug-cartels/index.html

🇺🇸🛂 The Trump administration has paused immigration applications from Latin American and Ukrainian migrants under Biden-era programs, citing fraud and security concerns.

🔗 AF Post

🇺🇸💸 $4.7 Trillion in payments by the US Treasury are basically untraceable

🔗 Alex Jones

🇺🇸🇺🇦 Trump says Zelenskyy “should have never started” the war with Russia

🔗 FactPost