Trump’s Ukraine U-turn, Musk’s spending cuts: Editorial cartoons for Feb. 23, 2025

The Trump administration began negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine — without Ukraine at the table. The move alarmed European leaders and Ukraine supporters in Congress Walt Handelsman leads this week’s editorial cartoon gallery with his view of President Donald Trump handing over “Youkraine” to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The theme continues with Bill Bramhall’s depiction of Trump conducting “piece talks” over which piece of Ukraine Putin will get. Drew Sheneman’s Trump askis Putin if he wants to borrow his Sharpie to redraw Ukraine’s borders, referring to the president’s scribble on a map altering Hurricane Dorian’s path in 2019. Dana Summers sees Trump as herding cats named after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin and Europe.

Nick Anderson, Mike Luckovich, Michael Ramirez and Phil Hands all refer to Trump’s false claim that Zelenskyy started the war. Actually, Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Luckovich puts the betrayal in terms “Star Wars” fans can understand; Han Solo can’t believe his eyes when he sees Chewbacca with his arm around Darth Vader.

Billionaire Elon Musk’s chainsawing of the federal government remains a popular target of editorial cartoonists. Bramhall draws a welder preparing to cut the number of Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima. Phil Hands points out the largest drivers of federal spending: Social Security and health care. Jack Ohman wonders who’s in charge, Trump or Musk?

Other news topics in this week’s gallery include a measles outbreak in Texas occurring on the watch of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic; New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ precarious future as a federal judge considers whether to grant a motion to dismiss corruption charges against him; and Trump’s spat with the Associated Press over renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

Cartoons were drawn by Jack Ohman, Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and Mike Luckovich, Steve Breen and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.