After Russia moved into Crimea and the crisis escalated in Ukraine, the United States set a legal foundation for sanctions. Executive Order 13660 declared a national emergency and authorized asset freezes and travel restrictions on people responsible for undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty or misappropriating Ukrainian assets.
The U.S. expanded sanctions authority beyond Crimea-focused actors to include officials of the Russian government, the arms/related materiel sector, and people or entities providing support to senior Russian officials. This widened the range of individuals and businesses that could be designated (added to the U.S. sanctions list).
Executive Order 13662 created authority to target key sectors of the Russian economy through “sectoral sanctions.” Unlike full blocking sanctions, sectoral sanctions can restrict specific activities (for example, certain financing) with named firms in targeted sectors.
To implement the 2014 executive orders, OFAC issued Ukraine-Related Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 589). These rules explained key definitions, prohibitions, and how licensing works, making compliance clearer for banks and companies.
OFAC created the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications (SSI) List and imposed initial restrictions on major Russian financial institutions and energy firms. These measures aimed to limit access to U.S. capital markets by restricting certain new debt and equity dealings, while stopping short of fully blocking the firms’ property.
Congress passed, and President Obama signed, the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014. The law provided additional sanctions authorities and other tools related to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, while the Administration emphasized it would continue calibrating sanctions with allies.
The U.S. imposed broad prohibitions on new investment in Crimea, imports from Crimea, and exports (goods, services, or technology) to Crimea by U.S. persons. The order also authorized blocking sanctions on people and entities operating in Crimea, aiming to reinforce non-recognition of Russia’s occupation and attempted annexation.
The White House notified Congress that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660 would continue beyond its first anniversary. This annual continuation process helped keep the sanctions framework in place as the U.S. judged the underlying threat to persist.
Congress passed CAATSA, a major sanctions law covering Russia (as well as Iran and North Korea), and President Trump signed it. For Russia, CAATSA strengthened the sanctions architecture by putting parts of the executive-branch sanctions framework into statute and adding new mandates and review requirements.
The Biden Administration issued Executive Order 14024, declaring a new national emergency and authorizing blocking sanctions against persons linked to a wide range of harmful Russian government activities (such as cyber-enabled activities and election interference). This order broadened U.S. sanctions capabilities beyond the original 2014 Ukraine-focused authorities.
The U.S. issued a new executive order authorizing sanctions related to certain Russian energy export pipelines, alongside additional related actions. This step connected energy infrastructure to the sanctions toolkit, reflecting the importance of energy revenue and leverage in U.S.-Russia sanctions policy.
Following Russia’s expanded invasion of Ukraine, Executive Order 14066 prohibited U.S. imports of Russian-origin energy products and barred new U.S. investment in Russia’s energy sector. These measures escalated U.S. economic pressure by directly restricting energy-linked trade and investment.
Executive Order 14068 prohibited imports of certain Russian-origin products (including seafood, alcohol, and non-industrial diamonds) and restricted exports of luxury goods to Russia, among other measures. This widened the sanctions-linked trade restrictions beyond energy into other consumer and prestige goods.
OFAC reissued the regulations in full and renamed them the Ukraine-/Russia-Related Sanctions Regulations, replacing the abbreviated 2014 version. The expanded rules added more interpretive guidance and licensing detail, reflecting how the program had grown and become more complex over time.
Executive Order 14114 amended earlier Russia-related orders to address sanctions evasion and support networks for Russia’s military-industrial base. It also expanded the framework for additional import restrictions, including rules that can reach certain Russian-origin inputs even after processing in third countries.
Treasury announced actions aimed at disrupting sanctions evasion channels used to pay for sensitive goods and reinforced risks for foreign persons supporting Russia’s military-industrial base. The announcement also described re-designations of numerous entities under Executive Order 13662, linking 2014-era authorities to later enforcement and secondary-sanctions exposure.
A February 2026 executive order adjusted tariff-related measures connected to the ongoing national emergency tied to Russia’s actions, citing the earlier ban on Russian-origin energy imports under Executive Order 14066. This shows the sanctions regime’s continued evolution into broader trade enforcement tools more than a decade after Crimea.
United States Sanctions on Russia following the Crimea Invasion (2014–present)