Trump extended sanctions against Russia imposed by the Biden administration in 2021
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed a decision to extend for another year the sanctions regime against the Russian Federation, as well as the actions of the state of emergency introduced in the United States due to the threats that, according to Washington, the Russian government poses. The corresponding document entitled “Continuation of the State of Emergency in Connection with Specific Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation” was made public on the official website of the US Federal Register.
The state of emergency, which Trump decided to maintain, was introduced on April 15, 2021 by the administration of then-President Joe Biden. It was announced in connection with the fact that Russia’s actions, according to the assessment of the American authorities, pose a threat to the national security, foreign policy and economic stability of the United States. Since then, the decree has been repeatedly updated, expanded and supplemented – in particular, by executive orders #14066, #14039, #14068, #14071 and #14114.
The latest document, dated April 10, 2025, confirms the need to maintain the state of emergency beyond April 15. It states that the actions of the Russian Federation remain a serious threat that requires the preservation of restrictive measures.
Among the reasons that serve as a basis for maintaining sanctions, the following actions of the Kremlin are mentioned:
– attempts to influence democratic elections both in the USA and in allied countries;
– organization and support of cyber operations against American structures and partners;
– involvement in international corruption for the purpose of political influence on the governments of other states;
– persecution of oppositionists and independent journalists outside the Russian Federation;
– actions that destabilize the situation in geopolitically important regions;
– violation of the norms of international law, in particular the principle of the inviolability of state borders.
The document clearly indicates that the current threats remain relevant, therefore the state of emergency, first introduced by Decree No. 14024, should be extended.
It is worth noting that on April 4, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the start of work on a new draft law in Congress, which would provide for additional sanctions against Russia in the event that Moscow does not stop military actions against Ukraine. Thus, Washington demonstrates its intention to continue to keep pressure on the Kremlin with all available tools, in particular through the mechanisms of the sanctions policy.
