

One of Ukip’s most senior politicians has lavished praise on Vladimir Putin for being a strong leader and ‘very nationalist’.

Diane James, an MEP and the party’s home affairs spokeswoman, raised eyebrows by expressing admiration for the Russian president during a debate with senior women in other political parties on LBC Radio.

Asked for her views on Putin, she said: “I admire him from the point of view that he’s standing up for his country … He’s very nationalist.”

The Labour deputy leader, Harriet Harman, interjected, saying: “You could say that about [the former Ugandan dictator] Idi Amin.”

James replied: “I do admire him [Putin], he’s a very strong leader, he’s putting Russia first and he has issues with the way the EU encouraged a change of government in the Ukraine which he thought put at risk and put in danger the Russian population in that country.”

Russia is subject to EU sanctions, having attracted international condemnation because of its annexation of Crimea and its backing of separatists in east Ukraine.

However, James is not the only Ukip politician to offer some support for Moscow, especially on the common ground of hostility towards the EU.

Ukip’s leader, Nigel Farage, once cited Putin as the world leader he most admired – “as an operator but not as a human being”.

While emphasising that he did not approve of Putin’s annexation of Crimea, he said EU leaders had been “weak and vain”, adding: “If you poke the Russian bear with a stick he will respond.”

This week, however, Farage said he now thought Russia was the second biggest foreign policy threat to the UK after radical Islam.