Love it or hate it – spied on the cuffs of the head of MI6, a pair of Marmite jars as he showcases the best of British

For some it is a love or hate relationship, but for the head of MI6 it was a chance to showcase the best of British.

Sir Richard Moore chose to wear Marmite cuff links yesterday as he gave a rare public address at the British Ambassador’s residence in Prague.

When asked why he was wearing a pair saying ‘love’ and ‘hate’, he smiled: ‘I’m not trying to tell you anything.

‘This is a very, very British thing and I’m not sure this is going to translate to others.

‘We have this particular yeast extract paste, which has a very strong taste and you either love it or you hate it.

For some Marmite is a love or hate relationship, but for the head of MI6 it was a chance to showcase the best of British

Sir Richard Moore (pictured) chose to wear Marmite cuff links yesterday as he gave a rare public address at the British Ambassador’s residence in Prague

‘So I have two jars of this (on his cuff links). I do recommend it.’

The spy chief joked: ‘Where is the British Ambassador? I should be supporting British exports.

‘Is marmite selling like hot cakes?’

There was laughter as the British Ambassador Matt Field replied: ‘Beginning to take off.’

In the meeting, the head of MI6 delivered a stark message to Vladimir Putin yesterday, telling him to pull out of Ukraine or risk being overthrown.

Sir Richard Moore said the only way the Russian leader could ensure his ‘career stability’ and save his own skin from the ‘chaos replaying itself into the Russian body politic’ was to withdraw Russian troops.

In the meeting, the head of MI6 delivered a stark message to Vladimir Putin (pictured) yesterday, telling him to pull out of Ukraine or risk being overthrown

In a rare public address, he issued an extraordinary appeal to Russians to spy for MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service. He compared the fate of their country to Shakespeare’s doomed Hamlet.

‘Putin cannot live through an experience where one of his closest proteges turns upon primarily on his defence minister and his chief of general staff, you have a massive blow-up in the Kremlin that leads to troops, heavily armed troops, advancing within 125km (77 miles) of Moscow.

‘He has to realise, I’m sure, that something is deeply wrong in the state of Denmark, to quote Hamlet. It was pretty humiliating – he had to go and cut a deal to save his own skin.’

Sir Richard was referring to the failed coup by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last month and Prigozhin’s criticisms of Putin’s chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov and defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

Sir Richard said the episode had ‘exposed the inexorable decay of the unstable autocracy’ as well as the ‘venality, infighting, and callous incompetence’ of Russian leadership.

When asked whether Putin will be ‘overthrown by his people’, Sir Richard said it was ‘up to the Russians’, adding: ‘The answer to these conundrums is very clear – it is to remove troops from Ukraine.