Not for the first time, Donald Trump may have jumped the gun when it comes to Vladimir Putin. The US president plans to meet his Russian counterpart as soon as next week and told European leaders that he wants to follow with a trilateral meeting including Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

But Trump's notion that he can end the war in Ukraine is "impossibly optimistic", said CNN. A key Putin aide, Yuri Ushakov, today confirmed that a meeting between Trump and the Russian president "in the coming days" was on the cards, but said a three-way summit "was not discussed".

What did the commentators say?
Trump's plan reflects his "deep belief that his powers of persuasion, especially in an in-person meeting, are the only way to strike a bargain", said The New York Times. That instinct was behind Trump's attempts in his first term to negotiate with North Korea's Kim Jong Un – meetings that were "cordial and an utter failure", and did nothing to slow the hermit kingdom's nuclear weapons programme.

Putin's reasons for continuing the war are stronger than "any incentive Trump can give him to end it", said CNN. Taking part in negotiations may just be a stalling tactic to buy time while Russia's summer military offensive continues to make gains in eastern Ukraine. Pressure from Trump might deliver a partial win, such as a promise to halt air attacks on civilians, but "Russian ceasefire pledges are often not worth the paper they are written on". And a partial ceasefire could disproportionately hamper Ukraine – which relies on drones to attack key Russian military production facilities – without halting Russia's slow but steady progress on the ground.

What next?
If a meeting goes ahead, there are no signs that Putin would concede on his unwavering demands, and Trump has splintered so many international alliances since taking office again in January that Russia is now in a stronger position.

Because Trump has "changed so many deadlines and he's twisted one way or another, I don't think Putin takes him seriously", Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at New York's The New School, told the BBC.

Cooking shows have long been "the toast of television: mouth-wateringly wholesome fun, cheap to make and often a surefire ratings hit", said The Times. Yet only 12 cooking shows were commissioned in the first seven months of this year, compared with a total of 42 last year and a high of 100 in 2019, according to analysis by Broadcast Intelligence.

'Inferno of scandal'
A "string of high-profile controversies" means such shows are "starting to leave a bitter taste with producers", said The Times. Allegations of inappropriate behaviour involving Gino D’Acampo became public in February, and "MasterChef" also became "mired in controversy" when Gregg Wallace and John Torode faced allegations of misconduct and were subsequently sacked by the BBC. D'Acampo has denied the allegations, and Wallace and Torode have disputed claims against them.

"Good riddance" to such shows, said The Telegraph. In addition to the recent "inferno of scandal, disgrace and other malfeasance", the format is "simply out of time" in 2025, when social media is flooded with "short and snappy" viral cooking videos.

But the genre may not be doomed, with "plans to reinvigorate food programming", said The Times. "Ambitious forthcoming food formats" include a Michelin-star-themed documentary for Apple TV+ and a "Harry Potter-inspired" format for Warner Bros Discovery.

'Mockery of cookery'
Today's foodies are heading to social media for recipes such as "marry me chicken pasta", with "hundreds of comments endorsing" the dish, said 34th Street. "A one-minute viral hack to create rice paper croissants is more likely to retain our attention than a one-hour programme that delves into the history of French cuisine."

Cooking shows as we know them have been "eaten" by TikTok, a producer told The Times. But although these videos are "feasts for the eyes", said The Washington Post, they are "making a mockery" of cookery. "Young learners" are now more likely to "put a Snickers bar inside a large pickle and call it dinner", said Delicious. This is "not conducive to a functioning society" and we may "reach a point where millions of people forget how to actually cook".

Fireworks light up the skies over Chengdu during the opening ceremony of the World Games. The Chinese city is hosting the 12th edition of the international sporting competition, in which more than 4,000 athletes from 114 countries and regions will compete.

Yang Qitian / VCG / Getty Images

Having revealed the childhood sexual abuse that he suffered at the hands of his late father, in 2020 memoir "Just Ignore Him", Alan Davies is now "finally, bravely broaching the subject" at the Edinburgh Fringe, said Dominic Cavendish in The Telegraph.

"A barrel-load of laughs? At points: no." But the "QI" panellist delves into a "sensitive, under-discussed issue" in a way that makes you admire his ongoing ability to see "the funny side of life" while coping with his "lasting trauma". 

Davies addresses this painful subject "rawly" but with a "lightness of touch", said Brian Logan in The Guardian. And he also delivers "one big-laughs set-piece after another" on topics ranging from "delivering a poo sample for a cancer screening" to erectile dysfunction and fatherhood.
 
Davies has a "chortling ease" that you only find in the most "gifted" comics, said Dominic Maxwell in The Times. But the "gear change is still grinding" between the "jaded yet fond" stories of his present life and the distressing recollections of life with his father. "It's always enjoyable, sometimes brave, a great show in the making, but for now, understandably, a work in progress." 

The material was certainly "darker" than expected and is likely to undergo "further fine-tuning", said Scottish Field. Still, it's an "excellent" return to stand-up and Davies delivers lots of "big belly laughs" throughout. "A must-watch at the Fringe this year."

Labour needs to silence the myths about migrants
Andrew Grice in The Independent
Keir Starmer "should not be afraid to tackle the myths about migrants", writes Andrew Grice. "Challenging the lies" spread by the right "will not mean Labour is 'soft' on immigration". The government "should publish as much data as possible but also explain it, making it harder for others to exploit it misleadingly". That might "sometimes produce uncomfortable headlines", but "much better to publish them with some context than allow the populists to pump out dodgy figures unchallenged".

A new coffee-table book shows one thing: celebrity artists should not be allowed near Auschwitz
Agata Pyzik in The Guardian
Fashion photographer Juergen Teller has published a "bland" and "banal" book about Auschwitz, writes Polish author Agata Pyzik. "Like an overbearing tourist, Teller photographs every single thing he sees" and "the haste is visible". At a time when "the very legacy of the Holocaust is being politicised", this book seems "worryingly like a vanity project". If we "lose our ability to capture the horror", how can we "ensure that future generations understand that it really happened"?

Allotment owners must raise their hoes in defence of tradition
The Times' editorial board
Jeremy Corbyn has "lost the political plot", says The Times, "but he has clung manfully to one that has inspired thousands of voters" nationwide. Owning an allotment "amid the tumbledown sheds" and "wonky beanpoles" is a "bucolic vision" for "countless Britons". As a "microcosm of society", allotments "can hardly be bettered". Corbyn has denounced Angela Rayner for "signing off the sale" of these plots across England, and we too "insist: hands off our allotments".