One twist of fate soon brought them closer. In 1993 Putin’s then wife Lyudmila had a life-threatening car accident. Warnig was quick to help, and Lyudmila underwent surgery in Germany. Dresdner paid for the expenses/Warnig has long sought to give up his job as managing director of Nord Stream;(
2014.8 “Stop that nonsense, let’s speak German, I don’t have time for an interpreter,” he (Putin) barked at (Matthias) Warnig, who does not care much for such grumpy behaviour. But the meeting was a success, and Dresdner bank opened its office (in St. Petersburg) on 12 December 1991./