VLADIMIR Putin and Xi Jinping's big meeting had a series of subtle hints that revealed who is really in control.
Body language experts poured over the footage of the Chinese and Russian leaders having their first ever meeting in Moscow.
They picked out little physical cues and ticks which gave away key clues to the duo's dynamics.
Xi visited Russia as he presented a "peace plan" to Putin offering him options to try and end the war in Ukraine.
And the duo exchanged chilling words as they appeared to firm up their two nations' relationship in a "new era".
“Right now there are changes – the likes of which we haven’t seen for 100 years – and we are the ones driving these changes together,” Xi told Putin.
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Vlad replied: "I agree".
But while Vlad the host, body language experts implied that it was the Chinese leader, Xi, who was in control.
Karen Leong, managing director of Singapore-based Influence Solutions, pointed out that Xi pre-empted Vlad by a split second by reaching out for their set-piece handshake.
"Even though he is the one visiting Moscow, he is the one who is going to be taking the lead in this relationship," said Ms Leong.
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Louise Mahler, a body language and leadership behaviour expert based in Melbourne, Australia, also pointed out Xi placed his hand on top of Putin's.
She noted this could show the Chinese president's "dominance".
Ms Mahler said Putin was slouching, twitching his leg, clenching his fist and looking at the floor – suggesting "underlying agitation" – as the two sat down together.
Xi meanwhile appeared "settled and confident".
Ms Leong also pointed out Putin had these ticks – despite his obvious attempts to appear "relaxed".
“If you juxtapose it with Xi, Xi is the composed statesman,” she said.
"He has a lot of gravitas, great eye contact, he is looking at Putin as an older brother looks … (at a) more junior, younger partner.”
And this is despite Xi being being a few months younger than Putin and Vlad being in power twice as long.
She noted however the Chinese leader did show he was also under pressure as he repeatedly blinked.
Kim Hyung-hee, director of the Korea Body Language Lab, noted both men appeared to try and avoid eye contact during their last handshake.
“They have high expectations about the meeting. You can see tension there – and you know there’s no real friends in politics.”
During his two-day visit, Xi barely mentioned Putin's shambolic Ukraine war – but insisted China had an "impartial position".
Xi said he signed an agreement with Putin – bringing their ties into a "new era" of cooperation and "deepening" their partnership.
Responding to the meeting of the two leaders, the White House urged Beijing to pressure Russia to withdraw from Ukraine to end Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two.
Xi was the first leader to meet Putin since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the president over his alleged involvement in the abductions of children from Ukraine.
Their first meeting was followed by a luxurious meal ahead of peace talks about Ukraine.
Beijing has proposed a 12-point peace plan to end the Ukraine war that would see ceasefire on both sides – but would mean a territorial loss for Ukraine.
Putin praised Xi for a peace plan he proposed last month, and blamed Kyiv and the West for rejecting it.
But the West sees the peace plan as a ploy to buy the Russian dictator time to regroup his troops and cement his grip on occupied land.
Kyiv continues to call for Western support to help them defeat Putin, who has so far lost more than 150,000 soldiers.
Vlad foolishly believed his forces would be welcomed into Ukraine as liberators when he invaded last February.
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But instead the initial attack ended in a disaster which saw his forces devastated and thrown back to Russia.
Putin's future is now believed to be tied to the success or failure of his war in Ukraine – with an arrest warrant being issued for him over war crimes.
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