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.”

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.”