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By the time the two world leaders met for their bilateral meeting in the afternoon, Putin was better prepared. For the obligatory photo opportunity at the beginning of the talks, he and Trump were seated in adjacent armchairs with translators and officials to one side. Their body language could hardly have been worse. The Donald was perched on the edge of his chair, trying to appear in control though just looking a bit needy. Vlad sat back in his, determined to make little or no eye contact. He wanted to make the American president sweat and he was succeeding. There was no doubt who was the boss now.
The Donald is uncomfortable with lengthy silences and started filling the void with words. Any words. “We’ve had some very … uh … very good talks,” he began. “We’re going to have a talk now and obviously that will continue.” Putin looked down, trying not to smirk. They both had Russian-to-English translators but the Americans had clearly forgotten to bring an English-to-English translator.
“We look forward to a lot of positive things happening for Russia and for the United States and for everyone concerned,” Trump continued. “I’m delighted and it’s an honour to meet you, Mr President.”
Sensing he might already be out of his depth, Trump remembered the first rule of diplomacy his advisers had told him just that morning. If things feel tricky, do another handshake. You can’t go wrong with a handshake. The American president stuck out a hand, which Putin accepted. This time the Donald kept his other hand by his side. Round one to Putin.
Now it was the Russian president’s turn to reply. He stared at the floor, his voice seldom rising above a mumble. Trump’s eyes darted from side to side, unsure of where to fix his gaze. He wasn’t used to having to concentrate for more than 140 characters at a time. And even that was often a struggle.