DOMINANT Kim Jong-un forced Vladimir Putin to be his "second banana" as he greeted his Russian counterpart in North Korea, an expert said. Tyrant Putin touched down in the hermit kingdom this morning and was greeted by Kim with an extravagant red carpet display. Kicking off his first visit to the rogue state in 24 years , Putin was welcomed with a lavish ceremony put on by his ally Kim.
But behind the smoke and mirrors of a pally display was a fight for dominance between the dictators, according to a body language pro. Professor Erik Bucy told The Sun Kim "demanded obeisance" from the Russian leader - who would have been left feeling "incredibly awkward" as he has long tried to maintain a macho image. Cringe-inducing video caught the moment the pair desperately tried to usher each other into a car at Pyongyang airport.
They both repeatedly signal for the other to enter the Mercedes limo first - with Putin eventually conceding as Kim grinned and made his way around to the other side of the car. Professor Bucy said: "What looks like a friendly welcome is really a dance to determine dominance among two nefarious authoritarians. "As the two leaders approach the limo, Putin attempts to act as the welcoming host and guide Jong-un into his own limo but the North Korean leverages the moment by holding his ground and keeping his arm outstretched, nonverbally insisting that he lead Putin into the back seat.
" Bucy, who works in Strategic Communication at Texas Tech University, said Kim'.