A pipeline intended to carry gas from Russia to Germany still has administrative hurdles to pass, according to a German regulator. Many hope it will remained stalled.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the US would work with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 does not happen if Russia invades Ukraine. He did not clarify whether Berlin had agreed to this arrangement.
Moscow said talks with Ukrainian, German and French officials were "not simple." But despite their differences, they backed a 2014 cease-fire in eastern Ukraine even as troops ready for war on both sides of the border.
A conscript fired on fellow soldiers, killing five and injuring five others before fleeing. The incident occurred in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
Olaf Scholz is set to meet the US president for the first time since becoming chancellor. The White House said the two leaders would discuss the ongoing tensions with Russia over Ukraine.