Belarus leader stands with Russia in campaign

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 25, 2022. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin via REUTERS

(Reuters) - The president of Belarus -- Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's closest ally -- said on Sunday his ex-Soviet state stood fully behind Russia in its military drive in Ukraine as part of its longstanding commitment to a "union state" with Moscow.

Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994 and accused in the West of human rights abuses, has allowed Russian troops to use his country's territory in invading Ukraine.