George Soros on Ukraine

George Soros has positioned the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an existential conflict, potentially the beginning of the Third World War, stating that civilization may not survive if Russia prevails. He advocated for the West to mobilize all resources to ensure a swift defeat of the Russian forces, viewing this outcome as the best, perhaps only, way to preserve modern civilization. This perspective contrasts with views that cautioned against driving Russia into a permanent alliance with China or favored returning to a pre-2014 status quo, with the philanthropist emphasizing the need for Ukraine to prevail to check autocratic expansion.

His philanthropic organization, the Open Society Foundations (OSF), through its local entity, the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF), has been heavily involved in Ukraine for decades, supporting democracy and civil society since before its independence. Following the 2022 full-scale invasion, OSF expanded its support significantly, launching a democracy fund and dedicating substantial grants to emergency response, war crimes investigations, and supporting Ukraine's preparation for European Union accession. He has also expressed support for Ukraine’s EU membership application as a positive response to the aggression and highlighted the need for Europe to reduce its energy dependence, a situation he linked to past leadership decisions.