Vladimir Putin appeared "cocky" and "controlling" at a meeting during his latest public appearance, a body language expert said.
The 69-year-old repeatedly sighed deeply once he had sat down to attend a dry meeting about the development of the Russian automotive industry.
The warmonger's projected performance here "looks like an attempt to appear cocky and controlling", body language expert Judi James told The Mirror.
But she cautioned that you should never underestimate Putin based on one body language performance...
"He can look frail one day, clutching at his desk and sitting with his head sunk into his shoulders and the next he will appear in front of a group of young businesspeople cracking jokes and showboating like a stand-up comic," Judi said.
"He has even appeared at an event recently speaking as though it were a religious rally and appearing choked with tears. There is a suggestion of a chameleon style of what might pass for charisma: a man who will present in whatever way suits his aims and his audience."
At this meeting, his rate of speech is rapid and he "gallops through his notes", suggesting "a certain amount of energy and that his mind is fully focused on his subject matter," Judi added.
Despite Russian troops killing thousands of civilians in Ukraine at his order, the despot can still hold a meeting on another topic without showing any signs of contrition or fear.
However, he did make an unnamed reference to the war, saying: "due to well-known circumstances and reasons" ties with foreign car manufacturers "have now been severed."
Judi continued: "His style of delivery suggests he is giving information in a dominant way rather than trying to persuade or sell or even apologise.
"His body weaves from side to side as he speaks and he has some of that sense of ‘bounce’ that has been missing from some of his recent appearances.
"Even though he does sit quite low in his seat, which could be a sign of depleted energy, in which case he might be an exhausted man trying to present a more energetic front.
"His feet and legs are hidden from view, which is an important factor as one of the more obvious hints of potential illness or physical weakness have been his foot and leg movements recently."
