Germany has halted the certification of Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline amid the ongoing situation in Ukraine. On Monday (February 21), Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of two separatist-controlled areas of Eastern Ukraine and ordered troops to enter the region to act as peacekeepers following several days of escalating violence.
"With regard to the latest developments, we need to reassess the situation also with regard to Nord Stream 2. It sounds very technocratic, but it is the necessary administrative step in order to stop certification of the pipeline," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
The 750-mile pipeline, which carries natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, was completed in September but is still awaiting final approval from German regulators. The $11 billion pipeline will double the amount of Russian natural gas flowing into Germany.
Nord Stream 2 has been controversial, as it will increase Europe's reliance on Russian natural gas and cost Ukraine millions of dollars in gas transit fees it collects from Russia over the pipelines running through its territory.
Construction of the pipeline was halted during the Trump administration after Congress added language to the National Defense Authorization Act, threatening to sanction companies if they continued to work on the pipeline. Those sanctions were lifted in 2021, allowing construction to resume.