WASHINGTON — Mike Pence criticized Vladimir Putin as a “small and bullying leader” Monday in a break with running mate Donald Trump.

The GOP vice presidential nominee appeared on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show when the conservative host characterized Putin as an “evil man” and said Trump is inappropriately enamored with the Russian.

“Any statements made by Donald Trump or myself about the small and bullying leader of Russia are not an endorsement of Vladimir Putin,” Pence responded.

“It’s an indictment of the leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And this is not about, you know, it’s not about failing to recognize what we’re dealing with there.”

Trump has lavished praise on Putin for his leadership, marveled at his 82 percent approval rating, bragged that Putin called him a genius and suggested he’d have a “very good relationship” with the Russian president.

Under a Trump-Pence administration, Pence argued, the US would be stronger on the world stage to counter Putin.

“It’s just recognizing that on the world stage, Vladimir Putin has been advancing the interests of Russia, you know, in the invasion of Ukraine, in Crimea, the new alliance and new activity both in Syria and in Iran, all give evidence of the fact that we’ve had a weakened position in the world. And Donald Trump from the get-go as president of the United States is going to have a completely different posture on the world stage,” Pence said.