[russia] foreigners banned from trading

A ban on foreign nationals selling goods in Russia's popular retail markets has come into force, leaving many markets struggling to remain open. The ban has been presented by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, as a way of improving employment prospects for Russian citizens.

Critics have warned that the government order could push up prices, hurting the poorest among the population. Sergei Simakov, a district councillor from Ussuriysk, said: "We had hoped good sense would prevail ... This could disrupt the economy and bring many problems".

A spokesman for the federal migration service, Konstantin Poltoranin, promised that enforcement would be carried out in an orderly fashion.

Seems a little like the foreign wines all disappearing off the shelves last year. Russia never does things by halves. Someone up there gets a brilliant idea over a few vodkas and they just enforce it on a Monday morning.

When it becomes clear it hasn't been thought through, the long, slow process of getting around the regulations then comes into play. We'll wait and see.