Germany halts gas pipeline project as EU chief says Russia troops already in Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday that he was suspending the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with Russia, as fears increased of a full-scale invasion amid reports and statements from officials that Russian troops were already on Ukrainian soil.

Scholz said he had asked to halt the German regulator’s review process for the pipeline.

“That sounds technical, but it is the necessary administrative step so there can be no certification of the pipeline and without this certification, Nord Stream 2 cannot begin operating,” he said.

A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the regions in eastern Ukraine, Scholz warned Russia that a decision to halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project was only one “concrete” step by Germany and that further sanctions could follow.

“There are also other sanctions that we can introduce if further measures are taken, but for now, it’s a matter of doing something very concrete,” he told journalists. READ MORE