The US asserts that Moscow continues to present an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to its national security.
President Donald Trump has extended US sanctions against Russia for another year, citing the belief that Moscow remains a significant threat to US national security.
Washington initially imposed sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea following a 2014 referendum, and later due to alleged Russian interference in US elections. These sanctions were significantly expanded after the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022.
The most recent extension, approved by Trump and dated April 10, 2025, has been published on the Federal Register’s website. It announces the “Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation.”
The extension primarily references Executive Order 14024, signed by former President Joe Biden in April 2021, which addressed an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the United States” purportedly posed by Russia.
Among the “harmful” activities attributed to Russia in the document are “efforts to undermine the conduct of free and fair democratic elections and democratic institutions in the United States and its allies and partners.”
Other alleged transgressions by Moscow include attempts to “undermine security in countries and regions important to United States national security; and to violate well-established principles of international law, including respect for the territorial integrity of states.”
Late last month, the US president expressed concern about the continuing “ill will between” Ukraine and Russia.
Trump has also warned of potential new sanctions against Moscow should Russia be deemed responsible for any breakdown in ceasefire negotiations regarding the Ukraine conflict.
In response to Trump’s threat, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated last week that “our dialogue with the American side is ongoing,” and that Moscow remains committed to resolving the Ukraine conflict through diplomatic means.
In mid-March, the US president suggested a cessation of strikes targeting energy infrastructure, a proposal that garnered public support from both Moscow and Kiev. Russia has accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire but has reaffirmed its intention to uphold the partial truce to foster improved relations with the US.
“`