Soros: Putin becomes more unpredictable as he weakens

Financial magnate George Soros is convinced that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have started World War III, and the Western powers should defeat the forces of President Vladimir Putin.

His remarks came at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on May 23, according to European Pravda news service.

“The invasion could have been the start of World War III, and our civilization may not survive it. The best and perhaps the only way to save our civilization is to defeat Putin as soon as possible. That's the point," Soros said.

Soros said Putin, who says the "special operation" in Ukraine is going according to plan and will achieve all the Kremlin's goals, now believes the invasion was a mistake and is preparing to negotiate a ceasefire.

“But the ceasefire in unattainable, because he can’t be trusted. The more Putin weakens, the more he turns to be unpredictable,” he noted.

The billionaire added that the EU needs to understand that Putin can turn off Russian natural gas, which currently accounts for about 40 per cent of Europe's needs, "as long as it really hurts."

“I can’t predict the outcome, but Ukraine definitely has a chance of winning,” Soros said.