In the wake of the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, widely attributed to Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, many magazines and newspapers around the world issued damning indictments against Russian President Putin, portraying him on their covers as a bloodthirsty fiend, a pariah, a liar, and a murderer.
'Pariah' Putin On Post-MH17 Cover Pages
![The August 4 cover of "Time" magazine says the West is losing "Cold War II" against "Putin's dangerous game."](https://gdb.rferl.org/4881af9e-1328-47c6-b468-559dbce349df_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
1
The August 4 cover of "Time" magazine says the West is losing "Cold War II" against "Putin's dangerous game."
![For "Newsweek," Putin is the "West's public enemy number one."](https://gdb.rferl.org/4d8132df-9979-4338-8545-2fe3a9b7e259_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
2
For "Newsweek," Putin is the "West's public enemy number one."
![Putin's "Russian Spring" has brought about a "Cold War" in the middle of July, posits Ukraine's "Focus" weekly magazine.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0d369b97-3e34-46a3-af98-b62a6df5981c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
Putin's "Russian Spring" has brought about a "Cold War" in the middle of July, posits Ukraine's "Focus" weekly magazine.
![Romania's "Adevarul" daily, dated July 25, pictures Vladimir Putin playing poker with European leaders. The headline reads, "Where does Europe's cowardice in the face of Russia come from?" An explanation follows: "Europe and Russia are tied by bilateral trade and oil and gas that are imported from Russia, so if sanctions are imposed on Moscow, they will affect the EU economy."](https://gdb.rferl.org/e6618b1e-6be7-4ab7-97ae-67906ebe3741_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
4
Romania's "Adevarul" daily, dated July 25, pictures Vladimir Putin playing poker with European leaders. The headline reads, "Where does Europe's cowardice in the face of Russia come from?" An explanation follows: "Europe and Russia are tied by bilateral trade and oil and gas that are imported from Russia, so if sanctions are imposed on Moscow, they will affect the EU economy."
!["Stop Putin Now!" says the July 28 cover of Germany's "Der Spiegel" magazine with photos of some of the MH17 victims.](https://gdb.rferl.org/67a2f797-8ee7-4299-bca5-23e541fbccec_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
5
"Stop Putin Now!" says the July 28 cover of Germany's "Der Spiegel" magazine with photos of some of the MH17 victims.
![The July 28 issue of Poland's "Niepodlegla" calls the Russian leader "Bloodymir."](https://gdb.rferl.org/1be2e1ac-5110-414d-9b4d-447445da57ac_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
6
The July 28 issue of Poland's "Niepodlegla" calls the Russian leader "Bloodymir."
![The July 25 cover of Britain's "Private Eye" features a photo of Putin against the backdrop of the Buk missile-defense system, suspected of bringing down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, and captions it, "I will find those responsible and give them a rocket."](https://gdb.rferl.org/d265a9e6-2583-4eaf-9a69-1549bbb63f76_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
7
The July 25 cover of Britain's "Private Eye" features a photo of Putin against the backdrop of the Buk missile-defense system, suspected of bringing down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, and captions it, "I will find those responsible and give them a rocket."
![The August 1 U.S. edition of the British news magazine "The Week" shows Putin with "blood on his hands" in front of the Buk surface-to-air missile launcher, which has been blamed for the MH17 downing.](https://gdb.rferl.org/ad3ae6d7-fa6e-4f01-b60b-11d68d0ede66_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
8
The August 1 U.S. edition of the British news magazine "The Week" shows Putin with "blood on his hands" in front of the Buk surface-to-air missile launcher, which has been blamed for the MH17 downing.
!["The Economist" pictures Putin entangled in a "web of lies."](https://gdb.rferl.org/770b9bfd-658c-407a-98cd-b0b410b6fa25_w1024_q10_s.png)
9
"The Economist" pictures Putin entangled in a "web of lies."
!["Getting Away With Murder" -- Canada's "Maclean's" weekly news magazine puts the blame for the MH17 crash squarely on "Putin's ambitions."](https://gdb.rferl.org/cfe43a53-8187-4e4b-9b42-aacd342d22b0_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
10
"Getting Away With Murder" -- Canada's "Maclean's" weekly news magazine puts the blame for the MH17 crash squarely on "Putin's ambitions."
![Australia's "The Spectator," dated July 26, pictures Russia as an armed bear gobbling up an airplane.](https://gdb.rferl.org/e3dccdac-731b-4b9f-a248-774d1325eba9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
11
Australia's "The Spectator," dated July 26, pictures Russia as an armed bear gobbling up an airplane.
![July 25's "Polska" quotes an online statement by a parent of one of the MH17 victims saying, "Mr. Putin, You Killed My Only Child."](https://gdb.rferl.org/82bac5ee-4899-464b-ab79-69e935ff188f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
12
July 25's "Polska" quotes an online statement by a parent of one of the MH17 victims saying, "Mr. Putin, You Killed My Only Child."