In an extraordinary interview with German newspaper Zeit, Nigel Farage called the reporter a “nutcase”, told him he should be on a “comedy show”, and was “away with the fairies”, and terminated the interview after the fourth intervention from his press officer.

Such a reaction came after repeated questioning about the former Ukip leader’s links with Russia. He refused to say why he visited Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in March (apparently it was for “journalistic reasons” and was somehow also “private”), and initially denied meeting the Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Yakovenko in May 2013, before admitting it when pressed, asking, “so what?”

After obfuscating, Farage insisted to the reporter that the Leave campaign had not received Russian money and had no links with Russia. His press spokesperson interrupts repeatedly to say the interview should focus on trade relations between Germany and the UK. Eventually they put a stop to the questioning and asked the journalist to leave.

Read the full exchange here, and feel Farage squirm.