New Year, Ukraine-Russia standoff: Editorial cartoons for January 4, 2026

If 2025 was the year of artificial intelligence, will 2026 be the year of AI? Yes, if you’re editorial cartoonist Dana Summers. He leads this week’s cartoon editorial gallery with the Baby New Year robot heralding Father Time.

Others have a less rosy view of the transition of 2025 into the past. Michael Ramirez draws a battered Uncle Sam and declares, “Ha! Take that, 2025! I survived!” What he doesn’t see is a tractor trailer marked 2026 hurtling toward him. Father Time Pedro Molina is shaken by tariffs, ICE, the Epstein files and the economy, but he’s eager to leave the rest of us with President Donald Trump. Mike Luckovich’s freshman year has the measles, and Drew Sheneman is about to catch it. Bill Bramhall draws New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a New Year’s baby with a beard and father Tim and wishes the 34-year-old who boldly promised: “Good luck, boy.”

Several editorial cartoonists also question whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin really wants peace as he continues to attack Ukraine.

Other news in this week’s abbreviated gallery includes Trump’s plummeting ratings; the hypocrisy of criticizing attacks on alleged Venezuelan drug boats while expressing regret over Rob Reiner’s son Nick’s addiction problems; more on Jeffrey Epstein document editors; and narcissism fueled by social media.

Cartoons drawn by Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Pedro X. Molina, Joel Pett, Drew Sheneman, Dana Summers and Joey Weatherford of the Tribune Content Agency; and Steve Breen, Mike Luckovich and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.