Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Saturday (March 01) reacted to the dramatic meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, which erupted into a heated confrontation at the White House.

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Taking to X on Saturday, Khamenei criticised Western backing for certain governments, calling it an illusion. "The first lesson from the situation in Ukraine is that the support of Western states for countries and governments that are their puppets is a mirage. All governments must understand this. Those governments that rely on the USA and Europe should look at Ukraine's current situation," he wrote.

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He also reshared a post from three years ago, which read, "#Ukraine’s situation has two important lessons. Governments that rely on the US & Europe should know their support is a #mirage and not real. Today’s Ukraine is yesterday’s #Afghanistan. Both countries’ presidents said they relied on US & Western govts but were left alone."

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What led to the confrontation between Trump and Zelensky?

Zelensky had travelled to Washington for discussions on a mineral deal, which Trump has described as a key step towards a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. However, the meeting quickly unravelled after Zelensky suggested that JD Vance should visit Ukraine to witness the destruction firsthand and insisted that Russia was to blame for the ongoing war.

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During the public segment of the meeting, Trump and Vance repeatedly criticised Zelenskyy, with Vance accusing him of engaging in “publicity tours.” Trump bluntly told the Ukrainian leader, “You’re not really in a good position right now.” At one point, Vance demanded, “Have you said thank you once?”

The situation escalated when Trump delivered an ultimatum, “Make a deal or we are out,” hinting that the US might walk away from negotiations and cut support for Kyiv.

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The meeting, which was supposed to continue behind closed doors, was abruptly cut short after the heated exchange. Zelenskyy left the White House early, and a scheduled press conference to announce the minerals deal was cancelled.

(With inputs from agencies)