Matthias Warnig, executive director of Nord Stream 2 AG, told the newspaper Zeit in an interview that he met and talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow after the start of the 'Russian special operation' in Ukraine. Excerpts from the interview are quoted by RIA Novosti.

As the newspaper notes, there are no witnesses to this conversation, but according to Warnig himself, he asked the Russian president what are the goals of the operation.

According to him, Putin did not answer this question and said that this is a state secret. It is noted that this was several months after the start of the special operation.

Last February, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the company Nord Stream 2 AG and Warnig himself. Last May, Warnig and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said they could not extend his term on Rosneft's board of directors.