Ukraine News: Billionaire Soros warns of World War III and harshly criticizes former Chancellor Angela Merkel

Created: 05/25/2022, 16:05

By: Lisa Mayerhofer

Star investor George Soros warns of a "Third World War" in Davos with a view to Putin.

(Archive image) © stock&people/Imago

In view of the war in Ukraine, star investor George Soros has warned of a catastrophe of historic proportions and called on the West to react harshly.

Davos – US billionaire George Soros warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, of an end to “civilization” because of the Ukraine war.

The Russian "invasion may have been the start of World War III, and our civilization may not survive it," Soros said Tuesday.

"We must mobilize all our resources to bring the war to an early end."

Dependence on Russian gas: "Germany's economy must be realigned"

The "best and maybe only way to preserve our civilization is to defeat Putin as soon as possible," the 91-year-old Holocaust survivor said.

He praised US and European support for Ukraine.

Because Europe reacted to the invasion faster, more united and more forcefully than ever before in its history.

At the same time, the dependence of the European states on Russian energy remains high - "mainly because of the mercantilist policy" of the then Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"That made Germany the best-performing economy in Europe, but now there's a heavy price to pay," Soros said.

“Germany's economy must be realigned.

And that will take a long time.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz ultimately seems to be making the right decisions for European unity: he has given up Nord Stream 2, promised 100 billion euros for defense and delivered weapons to Ukraine.

Soros backs gas boycott: 'Europe is in a much stronger position than it admits'

Soros also told

that he sent a letter to Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Tuesday, calling for a gas boycott.

Putin stored gas last year instead of exporting it to Europe.

The subsequent increase in prices brought Russia "a lot of money".

"I think Putin was very clever in blackmailing Europe by threatening to turn off the gas supply," Soros said in Davos.

In reality, however, the Russian President's threat was "much less convincing than he claims".

Putin is "actually in a crisis and has somehow managed to terrify Europe".

However, the Europeans would fill their stores by July, which would mean that Putin would lose power.

Because Russia currently has no other market than Europe to export the gas.

Putin is “in a tense situation.

He has to do something with the gas," Soros said.

"Europe is in a much stronger position than it admits."

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Investor Soros is a bogeyman for Russian populists

On the other hand, Soros does not think much of an oil embargo against Russia, which is currently being prepared by the EU.

Unlike gas, oil is comparatively easy to ship on a large scale, Soros said, according to

.

That's why Putin can easily find other buyers for his oil, such as China.

For years, billionaire Soros has repeatedly warned that open societies in western democracies are threatened by totalitarian states such as Russia or China.

Soros is also therefore an enemy of many populists in Eastern Europe, especially Hungary, Turkey and Russia.

The investor is a Jew of Hungarian origin who, with his foundations, supports, among other things, movements that are directed against authoritarian governments.