Poland’s Sikorski to remain as parliament speaker

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The speaker of the Polish parliament, Radek Sikorski, has survived an attempt by some lawmakers to have him ousted for claiming falsely that Russia made an offer to Poland to carve up Ukraine.

Sikorski, until recently the foreign minister and known internationally for his tough stance toward Russia, survived the vote on Friday 240-146. There were 48 abstentions.

Sikorski became an object of controversy after he told Politico last month that Russian president Vladimir Putin has made Poland an offer in 2008 to carve up Ukraine.

Sikorski eventually admitted the allegation wasn’t true and that his memory had failed him. But his initial refusal to give details about his claim angered some parliament members. Some of his opponents feel he compromised Poland’s image on an issue crucial to the region.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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