NEW YORK, January 14. /TASS/. US President-elect Donald Trump intends keeping in force for the time being sanctions, which were earlier introduced by the administration of the current American leader Barack Obama, according to the Wall Street Journal’s report on Friday.

The respected US business daily reported that Trump intended to keep intact all sanctions and restrictions introduced under the Obama administration against Russia "at least for a period of time."

However, the newly-elected US president hinted that the sanctions could be lifted in the future by saying: "If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody’s doing some really great things?"

The White House reported on Friday in its statement that President of the United States Barack Obama decreed to extend earlier imposed sanctions against Russia over the ongoing developments in Ukraine for another year starting in March.

The statement said quoting the US leader that Russia’s alleged involvement in developments in neighboring Ukraine since the spring of 2014 "continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."

A total of three US presidential executive orders were issued in regard to Russia over the developments in Ukraine, namely in March 16 and 20, 2014, as well as on December 19, 2014 on the globally-debated issue of Crimea’s reunification with Russia.

The ensuing sanctions on behalf of the United States hit a number of Russian state officials, businessmen and national companies, as well as officials from the government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and authorities of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.

According to the statement from US President Obama on Friday: "The actions and policies of persons that undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and contribute to the misappropriation of its assets, as well as the actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation, including its purported annexation of Crimea and its use of force in Ukraine, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."

"Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660 (issued on March 16, 2014) with respect to Ukraine," the outgoing US president added.