Macron greets Trump with one hand in his pocket: an analysis of a gesture that speaks volumes about his sense of humiliation

There are summits where images matter more than words. In Évian, during the G7, the meeting between Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelensky produced just such a moment. Macron and Trump greeted each other. The handshake was cold. Trump didn't really look at his French counterpart. Macron, for his part, kept his hand in his pocket. For observers specializing in international diplomacy, this scene was neither a protocol mishap nor a coincidence. On the contrary, it demonstrated what the Macron-Trump relationship had become: a necessary relationship, but one devoid of trust and affinity.

With his hand in his pocket, the Macron marker

For Emmanuel Macron, gestures are never merely decorative. The French president is acutely aware of the impact of a hand placed on a shoulder, an arm grasped in passing, a prolonged embrace, a handshake held for a few seconds too long. For many years, even before his election, he has used physical contact as a tool of power, for building closeness or creating distance. It's a trademark that everyone in his inner circle knows.

In the face of Trump, the hand in the pocket takes on a very specific meaning. Some may have noticed: every time Emmanuel Macron greets a head of state he dislikes, whom he criticizes, or who has humiliated him, he puts his hand in his pocket. As a sign of protest, or a way to feign indifference to save face…

Trump looks the other way, Macron closes his hands

For his part, Donald Trump has long used the handshake as a weapon. He pulls, he squeezes, he prolongs it, forcing the other person into his rhythm. Macron understood this language very early on. From their first meetings, he responded to Trump on the same ground, with firm, sometimes interminable handshakes that became symbols of power dynamics. Hand against hand, a smile against the pressure, protocol transformed into a discreet duel.

In Évian, the scene has changed. Macron is no longer trying to win a physical battle he knows he's already lost. His backup plan: a hand in his pocket… Trump's gaze, however, only adds to the unease. Not looking at the man you're greeting, in this kind of situation, gives the impression of a disengagement, filled with disdain, contempt, or indifference.

Ukraine behind the handshake

Volodymyr Zelensky's presence lends this moment added weight. Without him, it could be seen as just another episode in the personal rivalry between Macron and Trump, two presidents who have always enjoyed turning their relationship into a duel of gestures and glances. But Zelensky changes the dynamic. Ukraine compels everyone to stay in the room and watch. The Europeans need Washington. Macron needs Trump not to abandon the Ukrainian issue, not to leave Europe alone to face Moscow, and not to transform the war into bilateral negotiations with Vladimir Putin. This is the tension of the summit. The cold handshake says it all: an alliance that still functions because it has no other choice. The hand in his pocket prevents the scene from descending into flattery. Emmanuel Macron remains a host, not a courtier, something he detests after all. Trump's humiliations towards him…

An image that speaks volumes about diplomatic relations.

This G7 summit in Évian is a gathering of a West tired of trying to convince itself of its unity. On Ukraine, on Iran, on trade, on Russia, the lines are no longer naturally aligned. The Europeans want to maintain a collective framework. Trump prefers direct contact, transactions, and personal displays. Given the situation, the Macron-Trump handshake is anything but a mere social detail.

In diplomacy, politeness is precisely the arena where power dynamics are played out when no one wants to verbalize them. Macron cannot publicly state that the relationship with Trump is fragile, that Europeans distrust his intentions, that Ukraine still depends on an unpredictable American partner. Nor can he turn the summit into a demonstration of defiance. So, the body language does the work. The hand is firm. The face remains impassive. Trump's gaze wanders. Macron's hand, meanwhile, stays in his pocket. A gesture that, while not enhancing the French president's stature, gives him the illusion—futile but essential for his ego—of still maintaining some control over the situation.