Ancil
Before attending Pope Francis’s funeral, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy were able to meet, and their body language might have revealed some important information.
Before leaving for the funeral, they were seen sitting together in Saint Peter’s Basilica, facing each other in chairs, having an unplanned conversation.
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’.
“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’.
We can’t be certain of the two men’s thoughts, but we can infer some things from their behavior.
Adrianne Carter, a body language specialist, told LADbible that both guys were “mirroring one another almost perfectly” in the meeting photos.
Eye contact between the two guys was ‘intense and focused’, she said, and their knees pointed in the direction of one another was a ‘strong indicator of engagement’.
According to the expert, the two were seated “almost uncomfortably close,” which may indicate that they were intentionally trying to project trust or that they needed privacy.
The expert claimed that Zelenskyy’s open and apart hands in the picture of him and Trump sitting face-to-face were “a sign of explaining or pleading a case,” while Trump’s clasping of his hands between his knees “suggest he’s listening but reserved, absorbing, not reacting yet.”
According to her, Zelenskyy seemed to be “trying to get his point across,” but “neither is towering over the other,” which can be an indication of respect for one another.
According to the body language expert, the conversation in another shot had the “same energy,” although Zelenskyy appeared to be “slightly more dominant in the conversation” at this point.
Carter stated: “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.”
She described Trump’s body language as being “now hunched further toward Zelenskyy,” indicating that he was “more open, more receptive, but still not gesturing,” which was “classic of someone who’s evaluating carefully.” She also claimed that there seemed to be a “deep mutual focus” between the two 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’.
Given that Trump “often tries to assert dominance physically,” she also pointed out that there was “no visible dominance struggle.”
Although Trump has recently criticized Zelenskyy of impeding peace, he has also asserted that Ukraine and Russia are “very close to a deal.”
