Featured Image Credit: President's Office of Ukraine
Topics: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump, Ukraine, Russia, World News
Joe Harker
Topics: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump, Ukraine, Russia, World News
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy were able to have a meeting before they attended the funeral of Pope Francis - and their body language may have given away some crucial details.
They were pictured sitting together before heading out for the funeral, both in chairs facing each other for an impromptu world leader discussion in Saint Peter’s Basilica.
It's the first time they've met in person since Zelenskyy was berated at the White House, and at this meeting the White House said there had been a 'very productive discussion'.
The Ukrainian president said the two 'discussed a lot one on one' and is 'hoping for results on everything we covered'.
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"Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out," Zelenskyy afterwards said of the meeting, which he suggested had the 'potential to become historic'.
As for what the two men were thinking, we can't know for sure, but the way they were acting held some clues.
Speaking to LADbible, body language expert Adrianne Carter explained that in the pictures of the meeting both men were 'mirroring one another almost perfectly'.
She indicated that with their knees pointed towards each other this was a 'strong indicator of engagement', and that eye contact between the two men was 'intense and focused'.
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The expert noted that the pair were sat 'almost uncomfortably close', which could either mean they needed privacy or were making a deliberate attempt to show trust.
In the image of Trump and Zelenskyy sitting face-to-face, the expert said that Zelenskyy's gesture of having his hands open and apart was 'a sign of explaining or pleading a case', while Trump's gesture of clasping his hands together between his knees 'suggest he's listening but reserved, absorbing, not reacting yet'.
She said that Zelenskyy appeared to be 'trying to get his point across', but that 'neither is towering over the other' which could be a display of mutual respect.
Another image of the conversation had the body language expert saying it carried the 'same energy' but that Zelenskyy seemed to be 'slightly more dominant in the conversation' at this point.
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Carter said: "Zelenskyy's hand gestures are even more pronounced, two hands forming a triangle shape in front of him, which often signals structured thought or serious negotiation."
As for Trump's own body language here, she said he was 'now hunched further toward Zelenskyy', which suggested he was 'more open, more receptive, but still not gesturing', which was 'classic of someone who’s evaluating carefully' and there appeared to be a 'deep mutual focus' between the men.
So whatever words they spoke it seems to have been highly important and Trump did appear to be listening and taking things seriously, with the expert saying that the US president was 'letting Zelenskyy do more of the work of persuasion'.
She also noted that there was 'no visible dominance struggle', which is important as Trump 'often tries to assert dominance physically'.
Trump has recently claimed that Ukraine and Russia are 'very close to a deal', though he has also recently accused Zelenskyy of preventing peace.