The Guardian publishes cartoon depicting Putin as bloodied skeleton amid war

At the center of the cartoon are Vladimir Putin and a bear, a traditional symbol of Russia. The animal is depicted in a dire condition — emaciated, with its skeleton exposed and open wounds. Through an IV drip, a substance labeled “oil” is being fed into the bear.

Despite the destructive impact of the war on the bear — symbolizing the aggressor state — Putin appears relaxed in the cartoon. He sits in a chair with his legs propped up on a table, his boots stained with blood, holding two telephone receivers. In the conversation, he is portrayed as saying: “Go on! It will be worth it in the end…” — suggesting the dictator is willing to sacrifice his country’s future and millions of lives for his imperial ambitions.

The phones are also labeled — one “USA” and the other “Iran.”

Ella Baron creates sharp cartoons on current global events, and her work is published in leading outlets, including The Guardian and The Times.