Citizens of Belarus start to lose their fear, revel in mockery of President Lukashenko's declining popularity (3% in online polls). But the risk that things could get out of hand in run up to August 9 election is palpable. 1/ reut.rs/2VF7ZpJ 
Longtime Minsk-based @CarnegieRussia contributor Artyom Shraibman is worried about the potential for violence. 2/ carnegie.ru/commentary/821… @A_Shraibman
Belarus's ties with Moscow are increasingly tense. The testy relationship betw Putin and Lukashenko is getting nastier amid fights over COVID, energy subsidies, etc. Lukashenko is also accusing the Kremlin of interfering in the election. 3/ reuters.com/article/us-bel…
All of this fits within l/t pattern of mutual estrangement. But what really sticks out is the rise of grassroots antagonism toward Lukashenko and loss of fear. Here's a great video comp of public attacks on Sasha 3%, The Cockroach, etc. END @RFERL
