Ihor Tenyukh Resignation: Ukraine's Acting Defense Minister Offers To Quit, Parliament Rejects Request

Ukraine Parliament Rejects Defense Minister's Resignation
Ukraine's Defence Minister Igor Tenyukh speaks during the cabinet of the ministers sittings in Kiev on March 16, 2014. Crimeans voted on March 16 in a unique referendum on breaking away from Ukraine to join Russia that has precipitated a Cold War-style security crisis on Europe's eastern frontier. Ukraine's new government and most of the international community except Russia have said they will not recognise a result expected to be overwhelmingly in favour of immediate secession. AFP PHOTO/ YURY KIRNICHNY (Photo credit should read YURY KIRNICHNY/AFP/Getty Images)
Ukraine's Defence Minister Igor Tenyukh speaks during the cabinet of the ministers sittings in Kiev on March 16, 2014. Crimeans voted on March 16 in a unique referendum on breaking away from Ukraine to join Russia that has precipitated a Cold War-style security crisis on Europe's eastern frontier. Ukraine's new government and most of the international community except Russia have said they will not recognise a result expected to be overwhelmingly in favour of immediate secession. AFP PHOTO/ YURY KIRNICHNY (Photo credit should read YURY KIRNICHNY/AFP/Getty Images)

KIEV, March 25 (Reuters) - Ukraine's acting defence minister offered to step down on Tuesday over his handling of Russia's annexation of Crimea, but his resignation was immediately turned down by parliament.

"Given that some may not like the actions I am taking ... I will not cling to my post," Ihor Tenyukh told lawmakers a day after Ukraine began withdrawing troops from the Black Sea peninsula.

"If the leadership has a different view of developing events and other candidates, I, acting defence minister General Tenyukh, offer my resignation."

Asked to vote, 197 lawmakers accepted the resignation, but this was well short of the 226 reqauired for it to pass. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Writing by Matt Robinson; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

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