Featured Image Credit: RSBN
Topics: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine, Russia, Politics
Joe Yates
President Donald Trump has been accused of making a power play during his handshake with President Vladimir Putin.
They are meeting in an effort to resolve the conflict in Eastern Europe - an objective the 79-year-old president has pursued since returning to the White House in January.
Even with his administration offering additional incentives, namely the minerals deal, those efforts have so far produced no results.
Each time Trump has urged Putin to engage in peace talks and bring the conflict to a close, the 72-year-old Russian leader has responded with intensified attacks on Ukraine.
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In turn, the former businessman has repeatedly voiced his frustration over the situation and issued a series of warnings.
Now, as the pair finally meet in Anchorage, Alaska, the mind games have already started after the Republican visibly pulls Putin towards him.
Taking to Twitter to report it, one user posted a video of the pair with the caption: "President Trump DOES THE YANK HANDSHAKE! He pulled in Putin's hand! I VOTED FOR THIS!!"
One user commented: "Trump just asserted dominance before the meeting even started."
"I know Putin felt that," another added.
Trump was asked earlier today whether he could actually bring Putin to stop bombing Ukrainian citizens - something he conceded that he wasn't sure whether he could do.
Trump said: "I'll tell you what. I've had that conversation with him. I've had a lot of good conversations with him then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a nursing home or a rocket hit an apartment building, and people are laying dead in the streets.
"So, I guess the answer to that is no, because I've had this conversation. I want to end the war. It's Biden's war, but I want to end it.
"I'll be very proud to end this war, along with the five other wars I ended. But, I guess the answer to that is probably no."
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One ahead of the meeting, he was asked what the consequences would be for Russia if Putin failed to show a willingness to talk about ending the war in Ukraine.
"Economically severe. It will be very severe," he said. "I’m not doing this for my health, okay, I don’t need it. I’d like to focus on our country, but I’m doing this to save a lot of lives.
"Yeah, very severe.”
That said, Trump didn't explain what the punishment would be for Russia if it wasted his time, adding: "I don’t have to say. There will be very severe consequences."