As of the date of this publication (April 2014), a Google Search for the term "Putin thug" yields an astonishing 850,000 results; about the same as for "Putin murderer". Coming in at about 500,000 results is "Putin tyrant".

Even the whimsical "Putin the Terrible" is pushing 100,000. Most of these negative results source back to some bloviating American politician, commentator, editorial writer or journalist for a major American publication. Others trace back to European parliamentarians or periodicals.