European Union Nations Unanimously Approve Russian Sanctions

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, left, and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, right, discuss as they attend the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Cooperation Forum as part of the French EU Council Presidency in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. (AP)

Shocked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to deploy troops to separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, world leaders moved quickly Tuesday to impose as forceful a response as possible in hopes of averting a full-blown war in Europe.

Germany made the first big move, taking steps to halt the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia — a lucrative deal long sought by Moscow, but criticized by the US for increasing Europe's reliance on Russian energy supplies.