BERLIN (AP) Germany has taken steps to halt the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday, as the West started taking punitive measures against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

Scholz told reporters in Berlin that his government was taking the measure in response to Moscows actions in Ukraine.

The pipeline bringing natural gas from Russia to Germany has long been criticized by the United States and some European countries who argue that it increases Europes reliance on Russian energy supplies.

Scholz said that the government had decided to reassess the certification of the pipeline, which hasnt begun operating yet, in light of the latest developments.

That will certaintly take time, if I may say so, he said.