Soros Warns ‘Civilization May Not Survive’ Putin’s War

Bloomberg:  Billionaire George Soros warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has rattled Europe and could be the start of another world war.

“Other issues that concern all of humanity -- fighting pandemics and climate change, avoiding nuclear war, maintaining global institutions -- have had to take a back seat to that struggle,” Soros, 91, said Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “That’s why I say our civilization may not survive.”

Soros, a Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor, focused his speech on the rise of the “repressive regimes” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling the two countries the “greatest threat to open society.” His philanthropic organization of that name, Open Society Foundations, funds groups promoting justice, democracy, human rights and progressive politics.

The two leaders have made “mind-boggling mistakes,” Soros said. “Putin expected to be welcomed in Ukraine as a liberator; Xi Jinping is sticking to a Zero Covid policy that can’t possibly be sustained.”

The persistent lockdowns in China will disrupt supply chains, which could keep inflation around the world elevated and create a global depression, he said. He added that Xi’s errors may have cost him a third term.