When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday, there was a lot curiosity in what the go to would sign for the way forward for the US-Ukraine relations amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
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The 2 leaders greeted one another, posed for photographs in entrance of the White Home and answered questions from reporters within the Oval Workplace. As cameras captured the leaders’ interactions, the phrases they spoke weren’t the one a part of the story.
Physique language specialists say Trump’s bodily gestures, postures and contact revealed a sophisticated energy dynamic ― one that always put Zelenskyy on the defensive.
A lot of Trump’s gestures had been a approach to assert management and dominance, specialists say.
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One of many extra notable moments for physique language specialists was when Trump pumped his fist as Zelenskyy arrived on the White Home.
“It begins out with Trump giving his energy fist,” mentioned Traci Brown, an writer and physique language skilled. “He’s planning on being in full management. He’s very cordial to Zelenskyy, complimenting his go well with however sticking his arms method too shut into Zelenskyy’s house along with his palm virtually underneath his chin. This can be a signal of management.”
The fist pump is a “symbolic punching movement,” based on Patti Wooden, a physique language and nonverbal communication skilled and writer of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Physique Language, and Charisma.
“Subconsciously, what which means is he appears like he’s in for a combat, and he has to defend himself,” she mentioned. “It’s an instance of what’s known as a symbolic weapon. And since it’s the very first thing he does in response to this assembly, that makes it rather more highly effective.”
Later within the day, whereas joined by Zelenskyy and different world leaders, Trump gestured towards a portray of himself pumping his fist following his assassination try in 2024.
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Past the fist pump, there have been different control-asserting gestures on show. Brown pointed to the way in which Trump pulled Zelenskyy towards him.
“That is an unconscious present that Trump can transfer him round,” she mentioned. “Zelenskyy sways however doesn’t transfer his ft preferring to maintain his independence.”
Different specialists mentioned Trump’s contact crossed into condescension.
“Trump is manhandling the president of a rustic. He’s bought a maintain of him and is doing these actually minimizing actions with Zelenskyy,” mentioned Denise M. Dudley, a psychologist and writer of Making Relationships Final.
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Noting that the Ukrainian president is bodily smaller than Trump, she mentioned she believes “a extra socially subtle individual” on this place would keep away from taking actions that emphasize the diminutive qualities of the individual they’re speaking to.
“However Trump is simply going for it,” Dudley added. “He’s placing his hand on prime of his shoulder. He’s placing his arm round him in a really patronizing method, as if to say, ‘You’re not on my degree. I can usher you in such as you’re my date to the promenade.’ He’s not treating him like an equal.”
Wooden equally noticed these gestures as belittling.
“The best way Trump brings his arm up and across the shoulder, again and neck of Zelenskyy and pulls him in is sort of like a dad telling a child ‘you higher behave,’” she mentioned.
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The go well with interplay despatched blended alerts.
Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu through Getty Photographs
One other telling second got here when the subject of Zelenskyy’s go well with got here up ― a wardrobe alternative that was notable given the earlier criticism of the Ukrainian president’s alternative of clothes by conservatives.
Brian Glenn of right-wing outlet Actual America’s Voice ― who had chided Zelenskyy for sporting his common military-style apparel as a substitute of a proper go well with throughout his February go to ― informed the international chief, “You look fabulous in that go well with.” Trump expressed his settlement with that sentiment.
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“Trump does contact Zelenskyy when referring to the go well with,” Brown mentioned. “This can be a approach to join and in addition looks like he’s exhibiting Zelenskyy off in pleasure however belittling him only a contact along with his tone when he says, ‘I mentioned the identical factor.’ Contemplating that final time Zelenskyy confirmed up in additional informal apparel, Trump now has proof that he has management.”
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Dudley equally noticed how Trump’s gestures strengthened the unequal footing.
Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu through Getty Photographs
“He feedback on his go well with, and also you see Trump maintain his hand out, palm up. It’s sort of a ‘take a look at you,’” she defined. “I consider it like if I went to see my dad and regarded good. He is perhaps like, ‘Oh, honey, take a look at you.’ It’s the sort of factor you don’t do with one other president ― ‘Take a look at you. Love the outfit.’”
Nonetheless, not all of Trump’s conduct fell neatly right into a controlling body. Dudley identified that the previous president appeared to share a uncommon second of levity with Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian president’s hilariously snarky response to Glenn’s remark.
“I’ll say, it seems to be like Trump genuinely laughs,” Dudley mentioned. “I believe he truly laughed at a remark in regards to the go well with. Typically, Trump shouldn’t be someone who genuinely laughs ― he’s often so singularly targeted on placing on the Trump present. However right here, with Zelenskyy, he let loose an actual snort. I believe that’s attention-grabbing.”
Different gestures struck a extra impartial and even conciliatory tone, based on communication and physique language skilled Karen Donaldson.
Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu through Getty Photographs
“President Trump did the hand steeple ― in actual fact, a low steeple the place his fingers are pointing down, which is an indication of self-assuredness, self-confidence and that he’s comfy on this house,” she mentioned. “The decrease the steeple signifies extra thoughtfulness, the upper the steeple represents extra authority.”
She additionally believes his earlier fist pumping was extra a sign of solidarity than management and that the way in which he greeted him along with his palms up confirmed a willingness to be open and sincere.
Zelenskyy’s physique language additionally mentioned rather a lot.
Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu through Getty Photographs
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Zelenskyy’s physique language, in the meantime, revealed each resistance and composure within the face of Trump’s bodily assertiveness.
“We witness President Zelenskyy putting his hand on prime of the President Trump’s hand in the course of the latter a part of the handshake,” Donaldson mentioned. “Is it a cultural norm? No. When somebody locations their hand on prime of one other is throughout a handshake it’s a delicate approach to exert dominance over the opposite individual.”
Wooden noticed an identical sense of pushback, noting that Zelenskyy responded to Trump’s tendency to tug individuals into him in his handshakes.
“So Zelenskyy took his left arm and hand and went into what’s known as a top-down place, the place he’s holding Trump’s hand down as if to say, ‘No, I’m going to battle with you. You’re not going to tug me in and assume you’ve received,’” Wooden mentioned. “He retains holding it, and Trump continues to tug, pulling them each near his chest. You possibly can see Zelenskyy pulled barely off stability, however he maintains that top-down grip. It’s a continued battle.”
Whereas taking questions from the press within the Oval Workplace, each leaders additionally sat ahead of their chairs, a posture Donaldson described as a stance that “alerts preparedness and a readiness to have interaction in what’s to return.”
Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu through Getty Photographs
Even in these tense dynamics, Zelenskyy projected a measure of calm.
“President Zelenskyy has his arms clasped, along with his fingers loosely interlaced,” Donaldson mentioned. “In respect to the context of sitting down, his fingers are loosely interlaced, which alerts extra consolation than discomfort. Nonetheless, we frequently interlace our personal fingers to really feel safer in a scenario ― it’s a type of self-soothing.”
Taken collectively, the exchanges confirmed simply how a lot was communicated with out phrases. Trump’s handshakes, fist pumps and touches broadcast confidence and dominance, typically veering into condescension. However Zelenskyy’s small acts of resistance ― with regular footing, managed hand placement, and composed posture ― signaled that he was prepared to face his floor.
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This text initially appeared on HuffPost.
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