Donald Trump has been trying to broker a peace deal between Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and now a body language expert has revealed his ‘true feelings’ to the Russian dictator
A body language specialist has delved into the nuances of Donald Trump’s demeanour during his last public encounter with Vladimir Putin to uncover the US president’s true feelings.
Trump has been persistently attempting to mediate peace between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even going as far as to openly rebuke Zelensky in front of the global press within the confines of the Oval Office.
As tensions continue to rise, the US leader has brandished the threat of additional sanctions against Russia if they reject the proposed terms, while widespread concerns circulate that Moscow may have additional ambitions beyond Ukraine.
The nature of Trump’s relationship with the Russian leader during his second term is somewhat enigmatic, given there haven’t been any new public meetings between the two figures. Putin has now responded to proposals for a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has agreed to. 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 Russia.
Back in February, Trump engaged in a telephone call with Putin, with both leaders asserting their intention to restore relations between their respective nations. Nonetheless, this supposed warming of ties has triggered speculation and insinuations that Trump is getting too close for comfort with the Russian despot, reports the Irish Star.
Meanwhile, body language expert Judi James meticulously examined footage from the pair’s last public meeting in Helsinki, Finland, which occurred in 2018. Her aim? To cast light upon Trump’s attitude towards the ex-KGB operative.
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.
“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 Trump’s initial stance for the cameras “concedes nothing”, with the US President standing erect with his arms hanging by his sides, donning a “grim poker face”. She pointed out that he engages in some “telling power-flexes” and even disregards Putin’s smile, gesturing to the media as he sits in a way that seems designed to maintain “spatial control”.
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.”
Next up is an ice-breaking “mouth-shrug smile”, but Putin doesn’t seem to show that he needs “any ice to be broken”. The Russian President appears “relaxed and slightly amused”, with “steepled” brows and an elbow resting on the arm of his chair.
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.”
