My apologies, but we can be just as easily produce a counter example where Poland took Moscow[1] and Russia having nothing that would resemble respect. If anything, the events that followed suggest quite the opposite.

<< this paradox is a street level wisdom

I disagree. If anything, it is street level wisdom that strength is the only thing Russian respects. And again, note that the same wisdom is applied to other nations when convenient for narrative purposes.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_occu...