German media: Former Stasi spy and friend of Putin is head of Nord Stream 2
Matthias Warnig, CEO of Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the gas pipeline of the same name, worked as a spy for Stasi, the secret police of the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany), back in 1974, Der Standart reports.
With the code name “Arthur”, Warnig from the Düsseldorf GDR trade mission gave East Berlin information about west German companies. According to the article, between 1981 and 1990 Warnig held various posts in the GDR government, including positions in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Cabinet of Ministers.
Warnig then worked for Dresdner Bank. In 1991, the financial institution opened offices in St. Petersburg. During this time, one of the officials in the city was Vladimir Putin. Warnig and Putin quickly made friends. In 1993, when Putin’s wife was injured in a traffic accident, Dresdner Bank covered the cost of the operation.
In 2006, Warnig headed the company Nord Stream. In 2012, Putin awarded him the Order of Honor.
According to recent media reports, Russia will be unable to resume the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline for some time, since it lacks the necessary equipment.