Donald Trump last met publicly with Vladimir Putin in 2018 (Image: YOUTUBE)
A body language expert has scrutinised the last public encounter between and , revealing insights into the US president’s sentiments towards the autocrat. has been trying to mediate a peace agreement between Putin and President , even going so far as to openly rebuke Zelensky in front of the media within the Oval Office.
The US leader has warned of additional sanctions against if they reject the proposed terms, while concerns linger that Moscow may have further ambitions beyond . Trump’s rapport with the Russian leader during his second term remains somewhat of a mystery, as the two have not been seen together publicly since he took office again. Putin has now responded to proposals for a 30-day ceasefire, which has agreed to.
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Judi said Trump’s pose to the cameras “concedes nothing” (Image: CNN)
He said he agrees with the notion of a ceasefire, but “questions” remain. He said it should result in “an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis” . Meanwhile, Zelensky called Putin’s response “manipulative” and urged more sanctions on .
In February, Trump engaged in a telephone conversation with Putin, with both heads of state committing to revitalise the ties between their nations. Nonetheless, this has sparked speculation about Trump growing too close to the Russian ruler.
Now, body language specialist Judi James has delved into footage from the pair’s last public in Helsinki, , back in 2018, aiming to decode Trump’s attitude towards the former KGB agent.
Judi said: “This is a complex relationship with body language that can often appear performative. Both men prefer the alpha leadership style, with displays of physical strength passing for political power and status.
“Trump in particular has a tendency to initially present himself as cool, sometimes icy with Putin in a display of independence and independent strength, but when the two men do dig into their meetings the body language can suggest Trump’s desire to discover and display bonds between them and to use vocabulary that sounds intended to imply shared objectives and like-minded decision-making.
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Judi added that Trump performs some “telling power-flexes” (Image: CNN)
“Both also display a capacity for a matching sense of humor that is often apparent in their cues and tie-signs. Humor can feel like the greatest form of bonding glue. It is another form of power signaling and Trump and Putin will often throw out hints that suggest their relationship has an unserious facet to it behind the scenes. They discuss sports before politics here as proof of a deeper understanding and rapport.
“But Trump’s initial ‘attribution’ face to the world here is one of stubborn firmness and superior power. His behavior is like a boxer flexing his muscles to establish superior power before a fight begins.”
Judi noted that his initial stance for the cameras “concedes nothing”, with the standing erect with arms at rest by his sides, showcasing a “grim poker face”. She observed that he displays several “telling power-flexes” and goes so far as to disregard Putin’s smile, while gesturing to the press, seated in a way that implies he’s striving to maintain “spatial control”.
Putin doesn’t demonstrate that he requires “any ice to be broken” (Image: CNN)
She continued: “His gesture to Putin to sit is an ill-mannered and offhand-looking afterthought and he sits in his classic alpha pose with his hands in a downward power steeple. Once the initial status balance has been established though, Trump becomes instantly more friendly and amicable.”
According to her, next comes an ice-breaking “mouth-shrug smile”, yet Putin seems to indicate he doesn’t need “any ice to be broken”.
The Russian President’s attitude is described as “relaxed and slightly amused”, with “steepled” brows and a posture featuring his elbow on the chair arm.
Judi added: “There are always signs that Putin has studied Trump’s body language and prepared for it. He uses firm, fixed eye contact when their hands clasp here, and the clasp looks firm enough to be a power-tussle. Putin tends to use his spare hand to grip the side of his chair as he shakes with Trump, presumably aware of Trump’s infamous shake-and-yank where he yanks at the arm to destabilize the other leader.
“Overall then, Trump has previously shown a tendency with Putin to be grim-faced and cool to establish some power points at the start and then leak out signals of rapport. But Putin can also play a forensic body language game too and his skills always appear to be the more finely-honed and nuanced.”