As a Russian living in Germany, I perceive that many of the notions surrounding Russia were never truly embraced by the general public. A significant number of people hold preconceived negative opinions and some harbor personal grievances against Russians and Russian culture.
The soft power that Russia may have once wielded in the Western mind was fragile and easily dismantled. It became an easy target for Western propaganda. Just days before the invasion, I explained to a colleague that if it were to happen, the media would likely present a simplistic narrative of the conflict, creating a classic good-versus-bad dichotomy. This would undoubtedly lead to the resurrection of old clichés and propaganda that the British, French, Germans, and more recently, the Americans have historically crafted about Russia.
South america took fugitive nazis. The US didn't really denacify Western Germany and let a lot of the old cadre become leading actors in the post war politics and military of W-Germany. The list could go on and on.
