Monday Briefing

A ‘highly aggressive’ trip to Greenland

Relations between Greenland and the U.S. deteriorated further yesterday as Mute Egede, the island’s prime minister, erupted over what he called a “highly aggressive” delegation of senior officials that the Trump administration plans to send there this week.

Greenlanders’ effort to be diplomatic just “bounces off Donald Trump and his administration in their mission to own and control Greenland,” Egede said. He singled out the involvement of Michael Waltz, the national security adviser, saying his presence would serve only “to demonstrate power over us.” Usha Vance, the second lady, is also set to go to Greenland.

President Trump has vowed to make Greenland part of the U.S. “one way or the other,” and its people have become increasingly wary of his intentions. Until now, most Greenlandic officials have walked a fine line, trying to assert their sovereignty without antagonizing Trump.

Response: The Trump administration has presented the visit as friendly, saying in a statement that Vance would travel with one of her children and attend a national dog sled race.

Israel seized more territory in Gaza

Israeli forces were expanding their offensive in the Gaza Strip’s north and south, taking control of more territory and issuing evacuation orders for people who’d only recently returned home. Israel’s military said it had carried out airstrikes against Hamas targets and infrastructure.

The Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza warned of “imminent danger threatening the lives” of tens of thousands in the city of Rafah. The death toll in Gaza since the war began has now surpassed 50,000, the local health ministry said, including 39 people killed in Israeli bombardments over the past day.

Political turmoil: Israel’s cabinet passed a no-confidence motion against the country’s attorney general, beginning the process of dismissing her. She said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has accused her of undermining him, sought to put itself “above the law.”

Ukrainian and U.S. officials met in Saudi Arabia

Ukrainian officials met with U.S. envoys yesterday in Saudi Arabia to discuss the possibility of a limited cease-fire in the war with Russia. Russian and U.S. representatives are scheduled to hold talks there today. Here’s what to know.

The talks, in Riyadh, were expected to focus on ironing out the details of a temporary halt to strikes on energy infrastructure, which both sides agreed to last week, and on security for shipping in the Black Sea. A Ukrainian official said the Kyiv delegation might hold additional discussions with U.S. officials today.

What’s next: The path to a truce has been shaky, with both sides ready to continue fighting. Moscow continues to insist on maximalist positions; it has sought to assert territorial control and ensure that Ukraine never joins NATO. Kyiv has refused Russia’s demands and accused its president, Vladimir Putin, of stalling for time.

Attacks continue: At least three people were killed in a large Russian drone attack on Kyiv, officials said. In recent months, Russia has intensified strikes on the capital.

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Lives lived: Max Frankel, who fled Nazi Germany as a boy, became a Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent for The Times and led the paper as its executive editor, died at 94.

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ARTS AND IDEAS

A toast to the wedding speech

Bad toasts have become a popular comic trope for a reason: Who among us can’t remember cringing at misplaced anecdotes or dismally wrongheaded performances from boozy bridesmaids and graceless groomsmen?

My colleague Jason Zinoman, a critic at large for The Times, makes the case for more — not fewer — of these howlers. “The reality about bad toasts is that most of them are not disasters, just merely forgettable,” he writes. “And the best ones are a little messy.” Ideally, according to Jason, you make the target squirm — but not too much.

Read more tips for a successful toast.