A body language expert has ‘revealed’ the reason for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hand gesture after President Donald Trump flew bomber jets above his head, moments after he stepped off the plane.
The highly anticipated meeting between Trump and Putin finally took place in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday (August 15).
The pair met in an attempt to broker peace amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, but unfortunately, a deal was not met.
Both presidents were in talks for around three hours, followed by a short press conference in which Trump claimed that progress had been made.
“We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,” said Trump.
“I’m going to start making a few phone calls and tell them what happened. But we had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to, and there are just a very few that are left.”
.jpg)
.jpg)
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Alaska (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
He added: “Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant.”
On Friday, the pair both arrived at Alaska’s biggest military base, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where they stepped off their aircraft and each walked down a red carpet before meeting to shake hands.
As both presidents walked together along the tarmac, four F-35s and a B-2 Spirit bomber could be seen soaring overhead.
According to ABC News, the B-2 is thought to be a symbol of US power, and can carry both conventional and nuclear ammunition.
As the bombers flew overhead, Putin could be seen looking up into the sky.
Hongiman told UNILAD: “As the fighter jets approach the presidents, Putin notices the sound long before Trump does. Even if it’s a surprise for the Russian head of state and not a big shock for the American, we can see that Putin looks directly at the direction of the noise, and his ‘holster hand’ stiffens over his pocket.
“Putin is known for his famous ‘Gunslinger Gait’, meaning he’s always walked with one hand swinging loosely, while the other is still, as if ready to draw a weapon at a moment’s notice. This is believed to be part of his KGB training.
“Therefore, Putin’s strong hand over his pocket when he hears a loud noise from above, shows that even years and decades into his diplomatic career, he is still ready for action.
“He’s not relying on his skilled bodyguards, if anything went down, Vladimir will face the challenge fearlessly himself.”
The flyover took place moments after the pair landed (Contributor/Getty Images)
Honigman – on behalf of Oddspedia – explains that as the cameras turn to film the flyover, the two leaders can be seen marveling in the display.
“When the camera pans back to the two leaders, we see just how magnificent they found the display,” she added.
“Trump is seen clasping his hands, proud and delighted. Putin doesn’t even try to hide his glee. He follows the aerial display with eyes, and his whole head, not wanting to miss a moment.
“Trump then reaches to touch Putin’s arm, as a mark of friendship, showing the Russian president that this show is in his honour.
“Putin lowers his head, nodding a couple of times, in deference. He’s showing respect to Donald Trump for this powerful gesture.”
Some people have claimed the flyover was a ‘power move’ from Trump, with body language expert Darren Stanton telling UNILAD: “I think with the fighter jets, a lot of people have criticised Trump for giving Putin a hero’s welcome with the red carpet and the military flyby, but it’s more or less saying ‘I’ve got weapons as well, I’ve got the equipment as well’.”
Traveling abroad can be full of hidden costs; on top of paying for flights, hotels and activities there’s meals, drinks, and those sky-high charges for international data roaming which you’ll likely need if you want to use Google Maps outside of your hotel room.
But savvy travelers have found a way to save serious cash with a travel hack that costs as little as $0.35 per day.
If you want to stretch your vacation budget and still use social media while you’re out and about, check out this clever ‘roamless’ trick that people are raving about.
What is the ‘roamless’ hack?
Roamless is an eSIM app is designed for travelers who want affordable, hassle-free mobile data in more than 200 countries.
Just download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, sign up, and you can start using the internet abroad instantly; no SIM card swaps, no surprise fees, and no tech headaches.
You can choose between two plans:
- RoamlessFLEX: a commitment-free, pay-as-you-go option. Add credit to your account before you travel, and your balance never expires.
- RoamlessFIX: a 30-day prepaid plan by country or region, perfect for longer stays or heavier data use.
The app automatically switches between countries and networks; so it’s ideal for multi-country trips. Destinations include the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, China, the UK, and many more
Travelers give the app high marks for convenience.
“I always struggle to arrange local SIMs abroad. Roamless made it effortless,” one reviewer said. “Just activate once and keep using it!”
“Currently in Cambodia after Thailand and Bali; used Roamless frequently without any problems after previous trips with Airalo,” another wrote. “Will keep using for future travel.”
