What is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline?

A sign reading ‘Nord Stream 2 Committed, Reliable, Safe’ hangs above a painted map of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany at the natural gas receiving station in the Lubmin industrial estate in Lubmin, Germany (Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has suspended the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline after Russia recognised separatist-held regions in eastern Ukraine, with the West fearing a full-scale invasion is next.

The undersea pipeline directly links Russian gas to Europe via Germany and is complete but not yet operating. It has become a major target as Western governments try to exert leverage on Russia to deter further military moves against its neighbour.