Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s summit was so ‘frosty’ it almost resembled a “pre-match prizefighters weigh in.”
That’s according to body language expert Judi James, who said there was “little in terms of meaningful or communicative eye contact” during the big meet on Monday.
Both presidents met at Helsinki’s presidential palace on Monday, amid fraying Western alliances and developments in the investigation into Russian meddling in the US presidential election.
Kicking off the summit, Trump said to Putin: “I really think the world wants to see us get along.”
The American president said their two countries have “great opportunities,” given that they have not been getting along over the past few years.
He said he thinks they can have an “extraordinary relationship.”
However, both Trump and Putin’s body language said anything but “extraordinary relationship.”
Speaking to Metro UK, Ms James said: “The body language between these two men was so emphatically frosty on the way into their meeting that a political conspiracy theorist could argue that it was all staged like a pre-match prizefighters weigh in to add drama to any rapport signals once they come out.
“Both men postured like the alphas they are, pulling at their jackets and splaying to register status and strength.
“There was little in terms of meaningful or communicative eye contact and when Trump did instigate a long-distance handshake (Putin kept one hand firmly bound round the arm of his chair), their smiles were only a mouth-clamp upturned smile from Trump and a sombre face from Putin.
“Trump may have thrown a couple of testing the water semi-grins at Putin and even what looked worryingly like a wink at one point, but as the cameras were turned off, the pair sat immobile in their seats with none of the after-photos chatting that they did at their previous meeting.” Awkward.
Discussions at the summit included trade, the military, missiles, nuclear weapons and China, including Trump and Putin’s ‘mutual friend’, Chinese president Xi Jingping.
The two leaders were seated together in a room adorned by American and Russian flags at the Finnish Presidential Palace, separated by a small table.
(Metro)