What cartoonists think about the war in Ukraine

A skeletal Grim Reaper holds a baby that looks like Russian President Vladimir Putin tightly in his arms, feeding him with a bottle. For the Italian Paolo Lombardi, the war has found the ideal foster child in the Russian president. Flies encircle the figures, in further symbology that death is near.

With the Grim Reaper at the wheel, the devil is in the passenger seat studying a road map. An unbeatable team, they navigate a Putin "vehicle" with flaming eyes — directly to World War III. This is how Dutchman Tjeerd Royaards interprets the current situation. Can the navigation system still be reprogrammed?

One would think that humankind would have grown toward peaceful coexistence over the millennia. But in the view of Uzbek artist Makhmud Eshonkulov, mainly the complexity of weaponry has evolved. He depicts a monkey eventually followed by a Neanderthal with a club, then ultimately a modern soldier with high-tech precision guns. The latter steps on the tail of the monkey, going full circle.

But wars are no longer fought only with conventional weapons; propaganda on all fronts is part of modern warfare. In his work entitled "Modern Weapons," Cuban illustrator Miguel Morales depicts social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as the buttons in a nuclear suitcase. The password is "fake.news."

Like Ukraine, Lithuania once belonged to the powerful Soviet Union until it declared independence in 1990. In the former "brother states," people know what makes Russia tick. Cartoonist Kazys Kestutis Siaulytis from Lithuania depicts a fish skeleton in the color of the Russian flag eating a flag of Ukraine, indicating fears that Putin's hunger is spreading to consuming other countries.

Afghans know from painful experience in their country what war really means. In his caricature, Shahid Atiqullah borrows from Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, who in 1893 created the iconic painting "The Scream." Here, the horrified face is to be understood as a commentary on the bombed cities of Ukraine.

At first glance, this caricature by Romanian Marian Avramescu evokes associations with famous Dutch artist M.C. Escher. He drew objects that contradict logic and challenge perspective. Ukraine seemed to have no prospects in the face of Russian military superiority, although it has taught the world otherwise.

Since Russia's army invaded Ukraine, people around the world have been protesting the brutal war of aggression. But they are doing so in vain, implies Turkish artist Menekse Cam with his illustration. Neither despots nor death are impressed by peace activists, his work says — here, the Grim Reaper plays golf with his scythe as the masses protest behind a fence.

For a long time, Ukraine had close ties to Russia. The country's independence didn't fit into Putin's view. Cartoonist Amer from the United Arab Emirates depicts Ukraine as a little girl covetously looking back toward NATO, while Russia pulls her in the other direction.

From Tanzanian artist Popa's point of view, this war is not just about Ukraine, but rather global power struggles — with high stakes. Russia is threatening the Western world with nuclear war if it continues to interfere, but the US could immediately retaliate. Around the globe, there is fear that the conflict might actually set off World War III.

In the diplomatic arena, politicians from Western countries keep trying to bring the Russian president to the negotiating table. Putin's long table, at which he keeps his international visitors at a distance, has been extensively commented upon. From the point of view of the German cartoonist Agostino Tale, the only thing that counts for self-absorbed Putin is his own reflection.

In his negotiations with the West, the Russian president has an important card to play: Many European countries are dependent on Russian gas and oil. "Dr. Octoputin," as Rodrigo from Macao/China sees him, has the upper hand. Despite sanctions, Germany and other countries still buy fossil energy from Russia, which helps to finance Putin's war chest.

Ukrainians are fleeing the war in droves, and Europe is welcoming them with open arms. Despite sympathy for the refugees, Filipino artist Zach implies double standards are being applied — and that perhaps Ukrainian refugees are being allowed to enter the EU easier due to their lighter skin.

Australia has for years seen a threat in China, which seeks supremacy in the South Pacific and has repeatedly signaled that it wants to annex Taiwan. According to cartoonist Broelman, the panda is watching closely to see if the Russian bear with his paw in the Ukrainian honeypot will be chased away by defending bees. The panda may take a cue from the results.