Trump prolongs Biden-era sanctions amid Russia's protests
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending by one year the package of sanctions against Russia, which were initially introduced by his predecessor, Joseph Biden. About a month ago, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia views all sanctions against it as unlawful and anticipates their removal.
What do you need to know?
- Extension of sanctions: President Donald Trump signed an order extending the sanctions on Russia that were initially introduced during Joe Biden's term.
- Reasons for sanctions: The sanctions target actions by Russia, such as election interference, cyberattacks, and activities threatening U.S. citizens.
- Russia's reaction: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described these sanctions as illegal and expressed the expectation of their removal.
This concerns decree no. 14024 from April 15, 2021, which the Biden administration repeatedly expanded and extended.
Trump extends sanctions imposed by Joe Biden
Initially, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Russian individuals and entities that, according to U.S. authorities, may have been involved in cyberattacks, election interference in the U.S. and other countries, activities threatening U.S. citizens or endangering their lives, as well as financial operations aimed at circumventing sanctions.
"Harmful foreign activities of the Russian Federation, including: its efforts to undermine the conduct of free and fair democratic elections and democratic institutions in the United States and its allies and partners; engaging in and facilitating malicious cyber-enabled activities against the United States and its allies and partners; fostering and using transnational corruption to influence foreign governments; pursuing extraterritorial activities targeting dissidents or journalists; undermining security in countries and regions important to United States national security; and violating well-established principles of international law, including respect for the territorial integrity of states," the decree reads.
Russia expected sanctions to be lifted
In March, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that "Russia considers all sanctions imposed on it to be illegal" and expects their lifting.
The decision to extend the sanctions was made just hours after a special envoy of Donald Trump visited Moscow. Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the TASS agency, the discussion focused on "normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington and resolving aspects of the situation in Ukraine."
