New Delhi, July 27 -- LONDON - Andy Burnham was standing in a British naval base on Monday when the question of who exactly he was on the world stage began to crystallize. Nine months ago he was the mayor of Greater Manchester. Now he was hosting Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of a country that has been under sustained military pressure from Russia since early 2022, in his first face-to-face encounter as prime minister with a foreign leader.

air defense systems, maritime security cooperation, and joint defense production. Zelensky, in remarks following the meeting, identified these as the essential pillars of what he called a partnership that "strengthens both countries." Burnham pledged that Britain's support "will not waver," langua...