Latest news with #limo
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Putin, Trump discuss fate of Ukraine as summit stretches into third hour
ANCHORAGE, Alaska: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's high-stakes summit over Moscow's war in Ukraine stretched into its third hour on Friday, as the two world leaders sought a way to bring the deadliest conflict in Europe in 80 years to a close. Trump and Putin, along with top foreign-policy advisers, were conferring in a room at an Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, with a later, larger meeting still scheduled to follow. Trump's publicly stated aim for the talks was to get a ceasefire and a commitment by Putin to meet swiftly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate an end to the war, which began when Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022. Earlier in the week, Trump said he would know if Putin was serious about peace within minutes of seeing him. He also threatened to walk out of the talks if they were unproductive. Zelenskyy, who was not invited to the summit, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict with Russia and recognising – if only informally – Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial swaps. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," he said. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly ... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today ... I want the killing to stop." Once on the ground in Alaska, Trump greeted Putin on a red carpet on the base's tarmac. The two shook hands warmly and touched each other on the arm before riding in Trump's limo to the summit site nearby. There, the two presidents sat with their respective delegations in their first meeting since 2019. A blue backdrop behind them had the words "Pursuing Peace" printed on it. The talks also included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's special envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff, Russian foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and chief of staff Susie Wiles will also join Trump and the Russian delegation at a subsequent working lunch meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Trump hopes a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war that Putin started will bring peace to the region as well as bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court, accused of the war crime of deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Russia denies allegations of war crimes and the Kremlin has dismissed the ICC warrant as null and void. Russia and the United States are not members of the court. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians in the war. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. A conservative estimate of dead and injured in the war in Ukraine – from both sides combined – totals 1.2 million people, Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said in May. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher task than he had expected. He said if Friday's talks went well, quickly arranging a second, three-way summit with Zelenskyy would be more important than his encounter with Putin. Zelenskyy said Friday's summit should open the way for a "just peace" and three-way talks that included him, but added that Russia was continuing to wage war. A Russian ballistic missile earlier struck Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one person and wounding another. "It's time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Zelenskyy has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory and is also seeking a security guarantee backed by the United States. 'SMART GUY' Trump said before the summit that there is mutual respect between him and Putin. "He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time, but so have I ... We get along," Trump said of Putin. He also welcomed Putin's decision to bring businesspeople to Alaska. "But they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said, repeating a threat of "economically severe" consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. The United States has had internal discussions on using Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker vessels to support the development of gas and LNG projects in Alaska as one of the possible deals to aim for, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine, given that Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Reuters has previously reported that Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge Nato eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. Nato has said Ukraine's future is in the alliance. Russia, whose war economy is showing strain, is vulnerable to further US sanctions – and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. "For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs," the Russian source said. Putin this week held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants – a new nuclear arms control accord to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February. Russia has said it is open to a full ceasefire but that how it would be monitored needs to be agreed. One compromise could be a truce in the air war.
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Putin, Trump meet to discuss fate of Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. By Steve Holland, Andrew Osborn and Darya Korsunskaya U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met face-to-face in Alaska on Friday in a high-stakes meeting that could determine whether a ceasefire can be reached in the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Ahead of the summit, Trump greeted the Russian leader on a red carpet on the tarmac at a U.S. Air Force base. The two shook hands warmly and touched each other on the arm before riding in Trump's limo to the summit site nearby. The two leaders sat silently with their respective delegations seated to the side in their first meeting since 2019. They were seated in front of a blue backdrop that had the words, "Pursuing Peace" printed on it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict with Russia and recognizing - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Earlier, Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial swaps. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," he said. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly ... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today ... I want the killing to stop." Trump was joined in his meeting with Putin by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff. At a subsequent larger, bilateral meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and chief of staff Susie Wiles will also join Trump, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The Russian officials accompanying Putin in the talks with the U.S. delegation will be foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Trump hopes a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war that Putin started will bring peace to the region as well as bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher task than he had expected. He said if Friday's talks went well, quickly arranging a second, three-way summit with Zelenskyy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a three-way summit would be possible if the Alaska talks bore fruit, Interfax news agency reported. Peskov also said Friday's talks could last six to seven hours. Zelenskyy said the summit should open the way for a "just peace" and three-way talks that included him, but added that Russia was continuing to wage war. A Russian ballistic missile earlier struck Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one person and wounding another. "It's time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Trump said before the summit that there is mutual respect between him and Putin. "He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time, but so have I ... We get along, there's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said of Putin. He also welcomed Putin's decision to bring businesspeople to Alaska. "But they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said, repeating a threat of "economically severe" consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. The United States has had internal discussions on using Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker vessels to support the development of gas and LNG projects in Alaska as one of the possible deals to aim for, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine, given that Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Reuters has previously reported that Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge NATO eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. NATO has said Ukraine's future is in the alliance. Russia, whose war economy is showing strain, is vulnerable to further U.S. sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. "For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs," the Russian source said. Putin this week held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control accord to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February. COMMON GROUND? The source familiar with Kremlin thinking said it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some common ground. "Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon ... because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure)," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Putin has said he is open to a full ceasefire but that issues of verification must first be sorted out. One compromise could be a truce in the air war. Zelenskiy has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory and is also seeking a security guarantee backed by the United States. Ukrainians who spoke to Reuters in central Kyiv on Friday were not optimistic about the summit. "Nothing good will happen there, because war is war, it will not end. The territories - we're not going to give anything to anyone," said Tetiana Harkavenko, a 65-year-old cleaner. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Skift
05-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Carey Hires New CEO, Pushes Strategy Shift for Elite Limo Service
Alex Mirza, the new CEO of limo company Carey, is betting that AI can revive a business model squeezed by Uber, Lyft, and the looming threat of self-driving cars. In his first interview since taking the top job last week, Mirza outlined plans to transform Carey from what had become known as a "brand for just special occasions" into a service for younger customers and everyday executive travel. The challenge is substantial for Carey, which was taken over by private equity firm The Najafi Companies last September. Carey operates in about 1,000 cities across 65 countries, serving corporate clients, including Fortune 500 companies and event organizers. But the company has watched ride-sharing services capture a large chunk of the fractured limo market. New Boss, New Strategy One of Mirza's responses centers on AI-powered personalization and what he calls "intelligent luxury." "We're reinventing this company to be relevant to younger people and more people with different use cases," Mirza said. Mirza's strategy draws on his past experiences. He previously founded a recruitment tech service licensed by Fortune 500 companies, was CEO of Cachet Hotels in China, led the hospitality division at Caesars Entertainment, facilitated the $5 billion merger of Ticketmaster with Live Nation, helped with corporate development at Hilton, and led strategic planning at Starwood Hotels. The Talent Factor The approach builds on what Mirza describes as Carey's core strength: driver loyalty and training. Roughly half of Carey's base rate goes to drivers, and the company provides full benefits packages. Mirza said Carey is starting from a strong position. The company's chauffeurs average a dozen years of tenure, far longer than typical ride-sharing drivers. The new CEO also cited "off-the-charts" net promoter scores, a measure of customer feedback, and high repeat customer rates (though he didn't share specifics). "People are scared of human capital and managing it, but that'll be our bread and butter," Mirza said. Mirza sees parallels between Carey's situation and luxury hotel chains that had to modernize while preserving their premium positioning. Just as the hotel groups have invested heavily in their loyalty programs, Mirza plans to reintroduce one at Carey. Tech Push Another objective is investing in Carey's tech. The new CEO acknowledged that the company is playing catch-up. In July, the company plans to launch a tech platform that will use algorithms to match customers with specific chauffeurs based on passenger profiles and trip purposes. Think of it as "the Airbnb superhost concept on steroids," Mirza said, where customers can see and select their preferred drivers rather than simply booking a car. The AI initiative extends beyond matching. Carey plans to use algorithms to create "talent tiers" that rank chauffeur performance and tie compensation to those rankings. The company also wants to deploy "agentic AI" to replicate the service quality of top-performing drivers across its fleet. Mirza said Carey could appear on ride-sharing apps or travel booking sites, but only use its own vetted drivers and maintain brand control. It already has a small effort with one of the platforms, though he declined to say which one. Carey's Strategy Shift The company's event business provides a foundation for growth. Carey has handled transportation for the Super Bowl for 16 years and works with the NBA and other major events, creating temporary operations that can manage hundreds of vehicles and drivers. This event expertise, combined with Carey's security clearances and vetting processes, positions the company for what Mirza sees as a growing demand for executive protection services in "a world that's very unstable, unsafe." Mirza believes Carey has an opportunity to better market the discretion of its professional drivers: Passengers can feel safe discussing business, for example, and celebrities don't have to worry about paparazzi getting tipped off. The broader strategy reflects Carey's attempt to expand into technology companies, healthcare, and small businesses while maintaining its base among law firms, financial services, and entertainment companies and one-off consumer rentals for weddings and other special occasions. Daunting Hurdles Questions remain about execution. The luxury ground transportation market has seen numerous attempts at technology-driven transformation. It may be hard for Carey to navigate between premium positioning and mass market accessibility. Exhibit A: Blacklane, a chauffeur service app, has built international operations using similar positioning around professional service and reliability. Last year, Berlin-based Blacklane raised $65 million (€60 million) in a series G round of funding, with a potential IPO under discussion. It's available in more than 200 cities. Mirza dismissed the comparison: "It's like the difference between Airbnb and Four Seasons," he said, implying that Carey is like the luxury hotel brand. Meanwhile, Tesla's forthcoming robotaxi launch and Waymo's increased expansion of its driverless taxis could pressure labor costs. As the lack of combustion engines frees up space, autonomous vehicles may eventually reimagine the amenities and configurations passengers expect. Mirza emphasized that innovation will come from the bottom up, involving drivers and regional managers rather than corporate consultants. Mirza offered reassurance to longtime Carey customers, including corporate travel managers and executive assistants who arrange transportation for high-profile clients. "Discretion and safety are things that we value that are not going to be compromised," he said. "But we need to bring a higher level of hospitality to it, get better at marketing, and use AI to boost efficiency.
