On February 27, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending sanctions on Russia for another year, in response to Moscow’s ongoing actions in Ukraine. The sanctions, first imposed in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, have become a central pillar of US foreign policy regarding Russia. This new executive order, set to extend these restrictions through March 6, 2026, emphasizes the continued national security threat posed by Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict. The decision not only underscores the US administration’s stance on Russia but also signals the complexity of navigating US-Russia relations as the war in Ukraine drags on.

The sanctions against Russia began in 2014 after Russia’s controversial annexation of Crimea, a region that Ukraine considers its sovereign territory. This act of aggression, which followed the ousting of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president and the subsequent pro-Western shift in Kyiv, prompted Western nations to impose a range of economic and diplomatic sanctions. The sanctions were initially framed as a direct response to Russia’s violation of international law and the destabilization of the region. Over the years, these sanctions have expanded, particularly in the wake of Russia’s actions in eastern Ukraine, including its support for separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

In the following years, the sanctions were broadened under both President Barack Obama and his successor Donald Trump, who signed multiple executive orders to intensify pressure on Russia. These measures were not solely punitive; they were designed to deter further Russian interference in Ukraine and to demonstrate the US commitment to supporting Ukrainian sovereignty. By 2022, under President Joe Biden, additional sanctions were put in place in response to Russia’s formal annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, following disputed referendums that Ukraine and most of the international community........

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