THE Foreign Office responded to Russia’s spying accusations against six British diplomats in Moscow today as “completely baseless.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry terminated accreditation for the British embassy employees in Moscow’s Political Department, citing “numerous unfriendly steps” by London and “signs of spying and sabotage,” the FSB security service said.

The censure of the diplomats, who are understood to have left Russia weeks ago and are already being replaced, came as Prime Minister Keir Starmer was set to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington. They were expected to discuss Ukraine’s plea for restrictions to be lifted on using Western weaponry against Russian targets.

A British Foreign Office spokesperson said it was “unapologetic about protecting our national interests,” adding the accreditation was removed last month “following action taken by the UK government in response to Russian state-directed activity across Europe and in the UK.”

The US and Britain this week announced further financial support for Ukraine.