Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in Moscow today. Sharon will end his two-day visit to the Russian capital this evening after a talk with Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov. Aides to Sharon described his session with President Vladimir Putin yesterday as "better than good." He also met yesterday with leaders of the Russian Jewish community.
MK Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, said it is hard to ignore the indications that Sharon's trip was at least partially meant to drum up electoral support among Russian-Israeli voters for the Likud and Sharon. Lieberman, who will be competing for the votes of the same sector in the next elections, told Arutz-7 that he did not think that Sharon had succeeded in persuading President Putin to stop selling arms to the Middle East. "I don't see any sign of results," he said, "but I admit that it's still early."
Lieberman said that his party, which resigned from the government six months ago, is likely to support the national budget when it is presented for a Knesset vote. "At a time of economic and security crisis," he said, "the opposition parties must act responsibly." The Labor Party, a major partner in the national unity government, decided last night that it would not support the budget unless its demands were met.
MK Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, said it is hard to ignore the indications that Sharon's trip was at least partially meant to drum up electoral support among Russian-Israeli voters for the Likud and Sharon. Lieberman, who will be competing for the votes of the same sector in the next elections, told Arutz-7 that he did not think that Sharon had succeeded in persuading President Putin to stop selling arms to the Middle East. "I don't see any sign of results," he said, "but I admit that it's still early."
Lieberman said that his party, which resigned from the government six months ago, is likely to support the national budget when it is presented for a Knesset vote. "At a time of economic and security crisis," he said, "the opposition parties must act responsibly." The Labor Party, a major partner in the national unity government, decided last night that it would not support the budget unless its demands were met.