Strict sanctions on Russia were imposed after the "successful" coup d'état of Februari 2014 -- Vicky Nuland's  "Fuck the EU" says it all. Nuland was a leftover of eight years reign by VP Dick Cheney. The EU is truly fucked now by US aggressive stance on trade to maintain its hegemony. The end if the EU as we knew it and intended to operate on its founding principles. Enlargement to benefit a smooth transition of former states of Eastern Europe into NATO.

Sanctions Before the February 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Most U.S. sanctions imposed before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine were in response to Russia's 2014 invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and Russia's support for conflict in eastern Ukraine.  The basis for these Ukraine-related sanctions is a series of Executive Orders (EOs 13660, 13661, 13662, and 13685) that were issued in 2014 and codified by the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017 (CRIEEA; P.L. 115-44, Title II; 22 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.), a part of the broader "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act" (CAATSA). These Executive Orders provided for sanctions against those that the President determined to have undermined Ukraine's security and stability, misappropriated Ukrainian state assets, or conducted business, trade, or investment in occupied Crimea.

See my most recent diary - German Reunification and Economic Ties Russia

'Sapere aude'