George Soros addresses the assembly on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on 24 May 2022. Photo: AFP/Fabrice Coffrini
Businessman and philanthropist George Soros said climate change and President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine could signal the beginning of “a third world war.”
Speaking at the 2022 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Soros said in order to save humanity, Putin must be dealt with “as soon as possible”.
The 91-year-old Soros, 91 said the war had changed the world irrevocably, adding: “Even when the fighting stops […] the situation will never revert to the status quo.”
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“Indeed, the Russian invasion may turn out to be the beginning of World War III, and our civilisation may not survive it.”
He added society had “already fallen far behind and climate change is on the verge of becoming irreversible”.
“That could be the end of our civilisation.”
He said the possibility of irreversible climate change was “particularly frightening,”, especially in light of the surge in gas and oil prices as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Several European countries are seeking to circumvent the use of Russian energy sources. Moreover, Soros said Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine “has shaken Europe to its core.”
He said even though humans have accepted the reality that we must all die, “we take it for granted that our civilisation will survive.”
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To prevent the demise of life as we know it, Soros the “bottom line” is this: “We mobilise all our resources to bring the war to an early end”.
“The best and perhaps only way to preserve our civilisation is to defeat Putin”.
“Repressive regimes are now on the rise and open societies are under siege. Today, China and Russia pose the greatest threat to open society,” he said.
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