Cancel all expatriate Russians’ visas and residency permits

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

UK defence secretary Ben Wallace addresses media at a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force nations (PA)

Now that Russia has publicly separated the occupied regions in eastern Ukraine, from Ukraine, the free world has a choice of continuing to be dictated to, or act. Early indications suggest a plan exists to deal with Russia’s aggression; however, as many have already stated, severe sanctions should have occurred when Russia orchestrated the annexation in eastern Ukraine and certainly with the capture of Crimea.

Here’s a recommended sanction, which can be used at the slightest sign of aggression: cancel all expatriate Russians’ visas plus residency permits, giving Russian passport holders 72 hours to leave the country. It would be necessary to stop Russians holding dual nationality and for the duration of Russia’s aggression, no visas would be issued to any Russians. You can be sure Russia would reciprocate this sanction, which would focus companies’ minds on whether they want to do business with Russia, particularly using expats.

This strategy would need to be implemented by all free world countries and could be triggered, for example, when Russia starts military exercises which are “aggressive” or false flag incidents.  Economic sanctions would still be required; however, deporting Russians at the early stage of Russian aggression would mean their government has to explain this to its own population.