The US President Donald Trump has extended sanctions against Russia for another year, citing Moscow’s annexation of Crimea, its war in Donbas, and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A presidential notice dated Feb. 18 - set for publication in the Federal Register on Feb. 20 - ensures the measures remain in force beyond March 6, 2026.

“I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660,” the document states.

The sanctions regime was first introduced in 2014 under the Obama administration in response to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. It has since been expanded through subsequent executive orders.

In its latest notification, the US government said Russia’s actions continue to pose “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy” of the United States.

Executive Order 13660 forms the legal foundation of Washington’s sanctions architecture against Moscow. Additional measures - including Executive Orders 14065 and 14068 issued in 2022 - broadened restrictions following the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The sanctions include personal measures targeting:

associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, oligarchs and senior officials;

sectoral restrictions limiting access to Western technology, capital and energy equipment;

bans on the import and export of strategic goods;

and constraints on transactions involving Russian sovereign debt.

Ukraine’s drones aren’t just hitting the Kremlin’s energy infrastructure, Kyiv’s kamikaze aircraft now are hunting Russian power grid, public heating, drone launch platforms and air defenses.

The annual renewal is required to prevent the restrictions from expiring automatically.

According to United24, sanctions pressure has pushed Russia’s trade exposure to its lowest level in more than three decades, with figures comparable to the final years of the Soviet Union.

Exports accounted for 17.8% of Russia’s GDP in 2025, down from 22.2% the previous year, while imports fell from 17.8% to 15.2%.

Economist Olga Belenkaya of Finam described the export share as an “absolute minimum” in modern Russian history.