(Photo: CGTN)

On Tuesday German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suspended the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in response to Moscow recognizing the Russian separatist-held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

A report submitted by Germany on how the pipeline would affect energy security has been withdrawn, Scholz said Tuesday, adding that Russia’s recognition of the rebel-held areas of Ukraine as independent marked a “serious break of international law.”

The U.S. also issued sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and its corporate officers, President Joe Biden says this is one in a series of sanctions in response toward Russian aggression in Ukraine. Biden also said “we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate.”