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Accounts of an upcoming US-Russia leadership summit have been overstated, it seems.

Only a few days after President Trump announced he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest - "within two weeks or so" - the high-level talks has been suspended indefinitely.

A preliminary meeting by the both countries' top diplomats has been called off, too.

"I prefer not to have a wasted meeting," President Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. "I don't want a pointless effort, so I will observe what transpires."

• Trump states he wished to avoid a 'wasted meeting' after arrangement for Putin talks postponed
• Disappointment in Ukraine's capital as Zelensky leaves White House empty-handed

The frequently changing meeting is another twist in Trump's efforts to mediate an end to hostilities in the Eastern European nation – a topic of increased attention for the American leader after he orchestrated a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza.

During a speech in the North African country last week to commemorate that truce deal, Trump addressed Steve Witkoff, with a fresh directive.

"It is essential to get Russia resolved," he said.

However, the conditions that converged to make a Middle East success achievable for Witkoff and his team may be difficult to replicate in a Ukraine war that has been ongoing for almost four years.

Reduced Influence

According to Witkoff, the crucial element to achieving a deal was Israel's decision to attack representatives of Hamas in Qatar. It was a move that angered US partners in the Arab world but provided Trump bargaining power to compel Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

The US president gained from a history of supporting the Israeli state since his initial presidency, including his choice to move the US embassy to the contested city, to change US policy on the lawfulness of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and, more recently, his support for Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic.

The American leader, actually, is more popular among the Israeli public than Netanyahu – a situation that provided him with special sway over the nation's head.

Add in Trump's political and economic ties to key Arab players in the area, and he had a abundant negotiating strength to secure an deal.

In the Ukraine war, on the other hand, Trump has much less leverage. In recent months, he has vacillated between attempts to strong-arm Putin and then the Ukrainian leader, all with little seeming effect.

The US leader has warned to enact additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to provide the Ukrainian forces with advanced missile systems. But he has also recognised that such actions could disrupt the global economy and further escalate the conflict.

At the same time, the US leader has criticized openly Zelensky, temporarily cutting off information exchange with the country and pausing arms shipments to the nation - then to retreat in the face of concerned European allies who warn a defeat of Ukraine could destabilise the entire region.

Trump often boasts about his ability to sit down and negotiate agreements, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders haven't seemed to advance the hostilities any closer to a resolution.

Putin may actually be exploiting Trump's desire for a settlement – and faith in direct negotiations - as a means of influencing him.

In July, Russia's leader consented to a summit in Alaska just as it appeared likely that the president would sign off on legislative penalties supported by GOP senators. That legislation was subsequently put on hold.

Recently, as reports spread that the White House was considering seriously sending long-range missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the president of Russia called Trump who then promoted the possible summit in Hungary.

The following day, Trump welcomed Ukraine's leader at the executive residence, but departed empty-handed after a reportedly tense meeting.

Trump insisted that he was not being played by the Russian president.

"As you are aware, I've been played all my life by the best of them, and I came out successfully," he remarked.

But the Ukrainian leader later commented on the timeline of developments.

"Once the issue of long-range mobility became a little further away for Ukraine – for Ukraine – Russia almost automatically became less interested in negotiations," he said.

Thus, in a short period, Trump has shifted from entertaining the prospect of providing weapons to the Eastern European country to organizing a meeting in Hungary with Putin and privately urging Zelensky to cede the entire Donbas region – including land Russia has been failed to capture.

He has ultimately settled on calling for a truce along current battle lines – something the Russian government has rejected.

During his election campaign last year, the candidate vowed that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of hours. He has subsequently abandoned that commitment, admitting that ending the hostilities is proving more difficult than he anticipated.

It has been a rare acknowledgement of the limits of his authority – and the challenge of finding a framework for peace when both parties wants, or is able to, give up the fight.