What Putin's body language says about his relationship with Xi

Daily Mail​

11-05-2025

Vladimir Putin appeared to 'boast' about his relationship with China 's President Xi Jingping, a body language expert has revealed, as Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II with a massive parade through Moscow 's Red Square. Putin's Victory Day parade on Friday included an impressive show of tanks, missiles and troops, and was attended by over two dozen world leaders. One of the Russian leader's most high-profile guests was China's President Xi, who sat next to Putin during the procession.
As well as taking part in Victory Day celebrations, the Kremlin said last week that Xi would meet with Putin to discuss 'further development of relations of comprehensive partnership ad strategic interaction' and sign a number of bilateral documents. Upon his arrival Thursday, the Chinese president told Putin that their countries should be 'friends of steel' as they pledged to raise cooperation to a new level and 'decisively' counter the influence of the United States. Experts have claimed that Xi's latest visit provides Putin with an important boost as Russia comes under pressure from the United States to end the war with Ukraine. Now, body language expert Judi James has revealed what Putin's body language really says about his relationship with President Xi.
Suppressed tension
'There are some non-verbal signs of suppressed tension from Putin at some very telling 'leakage' moments as he walks with Xi, like the furrowing of the brow, an apparent biting of his lower lip and the way his hand is balled into a fist', James says. She also notes how the Russian leader's gestures suggest a 'degree of effort involved in getting this meeting right in the eyes of the world.'
Performed displays of friendship
'Putin's more performed displays or intentional gestures though seem to be aimed at defining a relaxed and even playful-looking friendship here. 'We can see him nudging Xi at one point with the back of his hand which is a signal usually used between friends to prompt someone to join in a joke. 'He also leans across with an expression of amusement as Xi speaks, rubbing his collar with a finger to suggest a light and humorous exchange.
Keeping the conversation going
'When the two men speak as they walk, Putin resorts to illustrative gesticulation to keep the narrative flowing of a chatty, animated relationship, bringing his fingers up in a measuring 'pinch' gesture, presumably to appear fully engaged despite the fact that they speak two different languages.' After launching what the Kremlin insists on calling a 'special military operation' in Ukraine, Russia has become increasingly dependent economically on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system.
China's increased trade with Russia has helped the country mitigate some of the worst blows from the sanctions. Moscow has diverted the bulk of its energy exports to China and relied on Chinese companies to import high-tech components for Russian military industries to circumvent Western sanctions. Xi's visit to Russia is his third since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Victory Day, which Russia marks on May 9, is the country's most important secular holiday. The parade and other festivities underline Moscow's efforts to project its global power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the conflict in Ukraine that is grinding through a fourth year.
World War II is a rare event in the nation's divisive history under Communist rule that is revered by all political groups, and the Kremlin has used that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia's position as a global power. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.
Addressing the crowd in Red Square, Putin praised Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, saying that 'we are proud of their courage and determination, their spiritual force that always has brought us victory.' Putin, who has ruled Russia for 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify his action in Ukraine.
The parade featured over 11,500 troops and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine. As a reminder of Russia's nuclear might, huge Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles launchers rolled across Red Square. Also among the weaponry on display were drones carried on military trucks, a tribute to their pivotal role in the conflict. Fighter jets of Russian air force's aerobatic teams flew by in close formation, followed by jets that trailed smoke in the colors of the national flag.