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Trump's Body Language During Zelenskyy Visit Spoke Volumes, Experts Say

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday, there was much interest in what the visit would signal for the future of the U.S.-Ukraine relations amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

The two leaders greeted each other, posed for photos in front of the White House and answered questions from reporters in the Oval Office. As cameras captured the leaders’ interactions, the words they spoke weren’t the only part of the story.

Body language experts say Trump’s physical gestures, postures and touch revealed a complicated power dynamic ― one that often put Zelenskyy on the defensive.

Many of Trump’s gestures were a way to assert control and dominance, experts say.

One of the more notable moments for body language experts was when Trump pumped his fist as Zelenskyy arrived at the White House.

“It starts out with Trump giving his power fist,” said Traci Brown, an author and body language expert. “He’s planning on being in full control. He’s very cordial to Zelenskyy, complimenting his suit but sticking his hands way too close into Zelenskyy’s space with his palm almost under his chin. This is a sign of control.”

The fist pump is a “symbolic punching motion,” according to Patti Wood, a body language and nonverbal communication expert and author of “SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma.”

“Subconsciously, what that means is he feels like he’s in for a fight, and he has to defend himself,” she said. “It’s an example of what’s called a symbolic weapon. And because it’s the first thing he does in response to this meeting, that makes it much more powerful.”

Later in the day, while joined by Zelenskyy and other world leaders, Trump gestured toward a painting of himself pumping his fist following his assassination attempt in 2024.

Beyond the fist pump, there were other control-asserting gestures on display. Brown pointed to the way Trump pulled Zelenskyy toward him.

“This is an unconscious show that Trump can move him around,” she said. “Zelenskyy sways but doesn’t move his feet preferring to keep his independence.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited at the White House before a meeting with European leaders to discuss ending the war with Russia on Monday, August 18, 2025.

Other experts said Trump’s touch crossed into condescension.

“Trump is manhandling the president of a country. He’s got a hold of him and is doing these really minimizing actions with Zelenskyy,” said Denise M. Dudley, a psychologist and author of “Making Relationships Last.”

Noting that the Ukrainian president is physically smaller than Trump, she said she believes “a more socially sophisticated person” in this position would avoid taking actions that emphasize the diminutive qualities of the person they’re talking to.

“But Trump is just going for it,” Dudley added. “He’s putting his hand on top of his shoulder. He’s putting his arm around him in a very patronizing way, as if to say, ‘You’re not on my level. I can usher you in like you’re my date to the prom.’ He’s not treating him like an equal.”

Wood similarly saw these gestures as belittling.

“The way Trump brings his arm up and around the shoulder, back and neck of Zelenskyy and pulls him in is kind of like a dad telling a kid ‘you better behave,’” she said.

The suit interaction sent mixed signals.

Another telling moment came when the topic of Zelenskyy’s suit came up ― a wardrobe choice that was notable given the previous criticism of the Ukrainian president’s choice of clothing by conservatives.

Brian Glenn of right-wing outlet Real America’s Voice ― who had chided Zelenskyy for wearing his usual military-style attire instead of a formal suit during his February visit ― told the foreign leader, “You look fabulous in that suit.” Trump expressed his agreement with that sentiment.

“Trump does touch Zelenskyy when referring to the suit,” Brown said. “This is a way to connect and also seems like he’s showing Zelenskyy off in pride but belittling him just a touch with his tone when he says, ‘I said the same thing.’ Considering that last time Zelenskyy showed up in more casual attire, Trump now has proof that he has control.”

People took particular note of the interaction about Zelenskyy's attire for his White House visit.

Dudley similarly observed how Trump’s gestures reinforced the unequal footing.

“He comments on his suit, and you see Trump hold his hand out, palm up. It’s kind of a ‘look at you,’” she explained. “I think of it like if I went to see my dad and looked nice. He might be like, ‘Oh, honey, look at you.’ It’s the kind of thing you don’t do with another president ― ‘Look at you. Love the outfit.’”

Still, not all of Trump’s behavior fell neatly into a controlling frame. Dudley pointed out that the former president seemed to share a rare moment of levity with Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian president’s hilariously snarky response to Glenn’s comment.

“I will say, it looks like Trump genuinely laughs,” Dudley said. “I think he actually laughed at a comment about the suit. Generally, Trump is not somebody who genuinely laughs ― he’s usually so singularly focused on putting on the Trump show. But here, with Zelenskyy, he let out a real laugh. I think that’s interesting.”

Other gestures struck a more neutral or even conciliatory tone, according to communication and body language expert Karen Donaldson.

“President Trump did the hand steeple ― in fact, a low steeple where his fingers are pointing down, which is a sign of self-assuredness, self-confidence and that he’s comfortable in this space,” she said. “The lower the steeple signifies more thoughtfulness, the higher the steeple represents more authority.”

She also believes his earlier fist pumping was more a signal of solidarity than control and that the way he greeted him with his palms up showed a willingness to be open and honest.

Zelenskyy’s body language also said a lot.

Zelenskyy’s body language, meanwhile, revealed both resistance and composure in the face of Trump’s physical assertiveness.

“We witness President Zelenskyy placing his hand on top of the President Trump’s hand during the latter part of the handshake,” Donaldson said. “Is it a cultural norm? No. When someone places their hand on top of another is during a handshake it’s a subtle way to exert dominance over the other person.”

Experts say Zelenskyy’s body language revealed both resistance and composure in the face of Trump’s physical assertiveness.

Wood observed a similar sense of pushback, noting that Zelenskyy responded to Trump’s tendency to pull people into him in his handshakes.

“So Zelenskyy took his left arm and hand and went into what’s called a top-down position, where he’s holding Trump’s hand down as if to say, ‘No, I’m going to battle with you. You’re not going to pull me in and think you’ve won,’” Wood said. “He keeps holding it, and Trump continues to tug, pulling them both close to his chest. You can see Zelenskyy pulled slightly off balance, but he maintains that top-down grip. It’s a continued battle.”

While taking questions from the press in the Oval Office, both leaders also sat forward in their chairs, a posture Donaldson described as a stance that “signals preparedness and a readiness to engage in what’s to come.”

Even in these tense dynamics, Zelenskyy projected a measure of calm.

“President Zelenskyy has his hands clasped, with his fingers loosely interlaced,” Donaldson said. “In respect to the context of sitting down, his fingers are loosely interlaced, which signals more comfort than discomfort. However, we often interlace our own fingers to feel more secure in a situation ― it’s a form of self-soothing.”

Taken together, the exchanges showed just how much was communicated without words. Trump’s handshakes, fist pumps and touches broadcast confidence and dominance, often veering into condescension. But Zelenskyy’s small acts of resistance ― with steady footing, controlled hand placement, and composed posture ― signaled that he was willing to stand his ground.