Putin's German confidant: Who is Matthias Warnig?

Matthias Warnig , is a businessman who has progressed from Stasi agent (working in German state security) to close confidant of Putin.  Warnig has had a quirky and interesting career, join us as we take a look at how Matthias Warnig became Putin's buddy.

The German manager and friend of Putin was born on July 26, 1955 in Altdöbern in Lower Lusatia as Artur Matthias Warnig . Warnig showed an interest in politics early on and was an FDJ (Free German Youth) secretary .

At the age of 18 Warnig committed himself to becoming an employee of the Stasi. At the same time he applied to join the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED).

Warnig received basic training in the 'Feliks Dzierzynski' guard regiment of the Ministry for State Security and in 1974 he finally became a Stasi informant with the alias 'Hans-Detlef'.

In 1975 Warnig became an agent in the foreign espionage department and his alias changed to 'economist'. Appropriately, in 1977 Warnig began studying economics at the Berlin School of Economics.

In 1989, Warnig was an advisor to Christa Luft, Minister for Economic Affairs, and took part in the negotiations on monetary, economic and social union during the government of Prime Minister Hans Modrow. There he met Wolfang Röller , the CEO of Dresdner Bank.

A short time later, Röller offered Warnig a post at Dresdner Bank. Two days after the signing of the state treaty on May 18, 1990 and shortly before political reunification, Warnig accepted the bank boss's offer.

In October 1991 his work for the bank brought him to Saint Petersburg. In 2003 he became a member of the supervisory board of Bank Rossiya. During this time Warnig made it onto numerous supervisory boards of the most important companies in Russia.

After that came a seat on the supervisory board at VTB Bank and various posts in corporations in the raw materials industry. Including Gazprom and United Company RUSAL.

Finally, in 2006 he became the managing director of Nord Stream AG, the company behind the first gas pipeline from Vyborg in Russia through the Baltic Sea to Lubmin in Germany. He retained this post until 2015.

He later became managing director of Nord Stream 2 AG, a company based in Switzerland, for a second pipeline from Russia to Germany.

Warnig is known as Putin's closest non-Russian friend. It is believed that they first met in 1989 when both attended celebrations marking the 71st anniversary of the Cheka.

The ex-Stasi agent later became part of the KGB cell founded by Putin in Dresden. Since then, the two have been seen together and linked in business dealings.

They have often been seen together at official events since 1991. Warnig was also present at the ceremony for Putin's fourth inauguration on March 18, 2018.

Both were also regularly seen with former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder at the time, such as on his 70th birthday. Schröder is a friend they have in common.

Warnig is very reserved with few media appearances and rarely speaks directly about his relationship with Putin, but in 2018 he gave an exclusive interview to the Austrian newspaper 'Die Presse', which offered a rare glimpse into his life.

In the interview with 'Die Presse', Warnig explained: "Putin doesn't have a cell phone, but if I want something and feel the need to see him, we'll sort it out."

When 'Die Presse' asked him about his behavior towards the media, he explained: "That's intentional. I don't like being in the front row or on the front page of the newspaper."

"I don't want popularity to the outside world, I want to do my things that I think are right and important," he added in the interview with the Austrian newspaper 'Die Presse'.

Important things certainly mean the numerous board positions he has held in Russia for over 20 years now. But even a wealthy and influential businessman like Warnig is feeling the consequences of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

When Russia declared war on Ukraine, many sanctions were imposed. This was also the case from the USA against the largest commercial enterprises in Russia, including many projects by Warnig , above all Nord Stream 2.

As a result of these sanctions, one of Warnig's most important projects: Nord Stream 2, the second gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, is now in acute danger. The Swiss company is even facing bankruptcy.

Since then, Warnig has been trying to get himself and his private fortune to safety. He has been living with his family in Staufen im Breisgau since 2006 and made sure that most of his assets were transferred to his family.

According to Welt am Sonntag, Warnig's stake in the family holding company MW Invest KG went from 42.75 to just one percent. The remaining shares went to his wife and children.

Since then, the 'oligarch from East Germany', as the media likes to call him, has gone into hiding. The traces Warnig leaves behind through his business activities are becoming fewer and fewer and are increasingly surrounded by bankruptcy proceedings.