Ethnic Russians residing permanently in the Baltic country, according to Latvian President Egils Levits, should be "isolated" if they are not judged to be loyal to the state.

"We see that some of the Russian community is disloyal to our country… Our task is to deal with them, to isolate them… They should simply be isolated," he said on Latvijas Radio. 

The majority of Latvians, according to Levits, have become "more nationalist and patriotic" as a result of the situation in Ukraine, which he believed was positive.

When Latvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, many Russians migrated into the country. In 1991 Latvia gained its independence. However, most of its residents which hold "non-resident" status, meaning they face employment restrictions and have no voting rights, are Russians. Ever since the independence, Russia has criticized Latvia for its unfair treatment of the Russian-speaking population living in Latvia.

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