President Donald Trump has formally extended US sanctions on the Russian Federation for another twelve months, citing Moscow’s continued role in what Washington deems as “harmful foreign activities.” The renewal, dated April 10, 2025, was published in the Federal Register, marking a continuation of punitive policies initially enacted following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and drastically broadened amid the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

The White House’s extension invokes Executive Order 14024, signed by former President Joe Biden in April 2021, which declared a “national emergency” over threats attributed to Russia. Trump’s decision to continue that declaration reflects a bipartisan consensus in Washington that views Moscow as an enduring threat to US national security, foreign policy, and economic interests.

The sanctions regime against Russia has evolved significantly over the past decade. Initially introduced under the Obama administration in response to Crimea’s 2014 referendum to join Russia-a move the US and EU condemned as illegal-the measures were later intensified under both the Trump and Biden administrations due to accusations of cyberattacks, interference in US elections, human rights abuses, and destabilizing activities in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

In 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western powers imposed sweeping sanctions targeting Russian banks, energy exports, the defense sector, and hundreds of individual officials and oligarchs. These measures severely restricted Russia’s access to Western capital markets, froze foreign assets, and attempted to curb its military-industrial capabilities.

Trump’s latest extension does not introduce new........

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