Germany signals it could halt gas pipeline if Russia invades Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a news conference after their talks at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/Pool

BERLIN/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Germany signalled on Tuesday that it could halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia if Moscow invades Ukraine, and Western nations rallied behind Kyiv over a Russian troop buildup that has stoked fears of war.

Stepping up diplomacy after talks with Russia ended in stalemate last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Kyiv on Wednesday before heading to Berlin to discuss "joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine" with German, British and French officials.