Khamenei Reacts to Trump-Zelenskyy Showdown with Past Critique of Western Support

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei retweeted a 2022 post to comment on Trump and Zelenskyy’s confrontation, criticizing Ukraine’s reliance on US support. He reiterated that such dependency is illusory and should serve as a caution for other nations. Iranian commentators expressed mixed opinions, with some criticizing Trump and others advocating for timely US-Iran negotiations.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei has revisited his previous commentary on Ukraine by retweeting a post from March 1, 2022. This action reflects his reaction to the recent confrontation between former US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Khamenei’s statement critiques Ukraine’s dependency on US support, describing it as deceptive and urging all governments to heed this lesson by observing Ukraine’s predicament.

Khamenei stated, “The first lesson from the situation in Ukraine is that Western support for countries and governments that are their puppets is a mirage”. He emphasized that nations relying on the United States and Europe should take notice of Ukraine’s status. His commentary arose shortly after Trump publicly criticized Zelenskyy for lacking gratitude and implied that Ukraine’s situation could escalate to World War III.

Iranian hardliners have echoed Khamenei’s sentiments as a validation of his earlier comments which warned against engaging with the Trump administration. Abdollah Ganji, an Iranian commentator, questioned whether an Iranian leader could imagine being in a similar position as Zelenskyy. Additionally, Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Khamenei, recalled an instance where Khamenei rejected a message from Trump relayed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Meanwhile, some Iranian scholars and commentators responded to Trump’s admonitions towards Zelenskyy by decrying it as a regression to imperialism. Fayyaz Zahed expressed that this behavior reveals the true nature of America. Contrary opinions arose suggesting that it is critical for Iran to seek negotiations with the US to maintain its negotiating leverage, as articulated by political commentator Diako Hosseini, who called for strategic talks while Iran still has assets to negotiate with.

The retweet by Khamenei illustrates Iran’s longstanding critique of Western influence on nations such as Ukraine. The responses from various Iranian commentators highlight a divide in opinion regarding engagement with the US, emphasizing the complex geopolitical dynamics at play. Ultimately, the overarching theme remains focused on the lessons learned from global interactions, particularly drawing from the confrontation between Trump and Zelenskyy.

Original Source: www.theweek.in