Expert weighs in as people 'convinced' Putin's body double met Trump for high-stakes summit
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Russia on Friday (15 August) for highly anticipated crunch talks over the war in Ukraine.
From the off, the US leader made headlines for the way he greeted his Russian counterpart, carrying out his infamously long 'yank' handshake in front of the press.
It's not the first time Trump has done this when meeting world leaders, though Putin looked largely unbothered by the move.
Many also noticed the decision by the American president to fly a B-2 stealth bomber over their heads while walking down a red carpet, in what some claimed to be an 'incredible' move.
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The pair met on the tarmac after making their way down from their planes, in what was their first face-to-face meeting in years.
Their meeting in Anchorage was notably shorter than expected, with the pair coming out to address reporters after what was said to be conversations in relation to the situation in Ukraine.
Despite Trump talking a big game and claiming he would make Putin an offer that would be 'too good' to refuse, the 79-year-old also threatened that there would be 'very severe consequences' if a peace deal wasn't struck with Russia.
But following their reunion, people took to social media to suggest that perhaps the smiley man representing Russia wasn't Putin at all, but a 'body double'.
One suggested that it doesn't 'quite look like him', adding: "His cheeks are rounder and does not walk with his customary low movement right arm. A classic KGB walk he uses."
Another claimed that Putin was 'hiding out' somewhere else in Alaska while using his alleged double.
But Inbaal Honigman, a body language expert, explained to the Daily Star that the walk actually confirmed that it was Putin.
"As we observe Vladimir Putin march alongside Donald Trump, the Russian president's famed 'gunslinger gait' is as evident as ever," she said.
"His left arm swings naturally, while his right arm is still and stiff, held strongly in place by his side.
"This is an identifiable mark of the former KGB agent, which allows an officer to be ready to pull a firearm out of its holster at a moment's notice."
Honigman suggested the differences between his and Trump's arm movements were 'notable', adding: "Compared with footage of Putin from 2015, he is a little slower, his shoulders are a little stiffer, but it is the exact same motion."
Body language expert Dr Beth Dawson also spoke of the 'genuine connection' between Putin and Trump when shaking hands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.
As per the New York Post, she pointed out: "We see that little micro-gesture [by Trump] pulling the jacket slightly close.
"Now, he’s not closing his jacket. He’s not buttoning his jacket. This is a very definite micro-gesture… but also signals self-protection."
She added: "With Vladimir Putin… we also see a quick hand inside the jacket. Now we see him do this a couple of times."
Dr Dawson said Putin's smile when meeting Trump was 'genuine', highlighting that he held his arm out to the American leader, while Trump pulled him into his 'personal space'.
As for what was said afterwards, they noted the 'great progress' made in talks, while Putin spoke for a considerably longer time to the press than Trump, who didn't mention Ukraine explicitly.
Topics: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine, Russia, World News
Joshua Nair