AFP PHOTODAVOS, Switzerland: United States billionaire George Soros warned on Tuesday that "civilization may not survive" Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but said Europe could have a stronger position against Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding gas than it realizes. "The invasion may have been the beginning of the Third World War and our civilization may not survive it," Soros said. The best and, perhaps, only way to preserve our civilization is to defeat Putin as soon as possible," he added. He praised US and European support for Ukraine, but Europe's dependence on Russian fossil fuels "remains excessive," Soros said. The European Union is now aiming to reduce its use of Russian gas by two-thirds this year, but it has fallen short of banning imports due to German reluctance.

Source: Manila Times May 25, 2022 22:08 UTC