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Reports of an upcoming American-Russian presidential 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 put off without a new date.

A initial meeting by the both countries' top diplomats has been cancelled, as well.

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," President Trump informed reporters at the executive mansion on a recent weekday. "I aim to avoid a waste of time, so I will observe what happens."

• Trump states he wished to avoid a 'unproductive session' after plan for Putin talks shelved
• Letdown in Kyiv as Zelensky departs Washington without results

The frequently changing meeting is just the latest twist in the president's efforts to mediate an conclusion to war in Ukraine – a subject of renewed focus for the American leader after he orchestrated a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in the Palestinian territory.

While making remarks in Egypt last week to commemorate that ceasefire agreement, Trump addressed his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.

"We have to get Russia done," he said.

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

Reduced Influence

Per the lead negotiator, the key to unlocking a deal was the Israeli government's decision to attack representatives of Hamas in the Gulf state. It was a move that infuriated US partners in the Arab world but provided the president leverage to pressure Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu into making a deal.

Trump benefited from a long record of siding with Israel dating back to his first term, encompassing his choice to relocate the US embassy to the contested city, to change America's position on the lawfulness of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and, in recent times, his backing for Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic.

The American leader, actually, is more popular among the Israeli public than their prime minister – a situation that gave him unique influence over the nation's head.

Combine the president's political and economic ties to influential Arab nations in the region, and he had a abundant diplomatic muscle to force an deal.

In the Ukraine war, on the other hand, Trump has significantly reduced leverage. In recent months, he has swung between attempts to pressure the Russian president and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has threatened to enact additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to supply the Ukrainian forces with advanced missile systems. But he has also acknowledged that doing so could harm the global economy and intensify the war.

Meanwhile, the president has criticized openly Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and pausing weapon deliveries to the nation - only to then back off in the face of concerned European allies who warn a Ukrainian collapse could destabilise the whole area.

Trump loves to tout his skill to meet and hammer out deals, but his personal discussions with both Putin and Zelensky haven't seemed to move the war any nearer a resolution.

Putin may actually be exploiting Trump's desire for a deal – and belief in direct negotiations - as a method of influencing him.

In July, Putin agreed to a summit in the US state at the time when it appeared likely that the president would approve on congressional sanctions package supported by GOP senators. That legislation was subsequently put on hold.

Last week, as reports spread that the US administration was seriously contemplating sending Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the president of Russia called the US president who then promoted the potential meeting in Budapest.

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

The US leader maintained that he was not being manipulated by Putin.

"As you are aware, I've been played throughout my career by the best of them, and I emerged really well," he said.

However the Ukrainian leader subsequently made note of the timeline of developments.

"As soon as the matter of advanced weaponry became a little further away for Ukraine – for Ukraine – the Russian side almost automatically became less engaged in diplomacy," he stated.

So, in a matter of days, the president has bounced from considering the idea of providing weapons to Ukraine to organizing a Budapest summit with Russia's leader and confidentially urging Zelensky to surrender the entire Donbas region – including territory Russian forces has been failed to capture.

He has finally decided on calling for a truce along current battle lines – a proposal Russia has rejected.

During his election campaign last year, the candidate promised that he could end the conflict in Ukraine in a very short time. He has subsequently abandoned that commitment, saying that concluding the war is proving harder than he anticipated.

It has been a uncommon admission of the limits of his authority – and the challenge of finding a framework for peace when neither side desires, or is able to, give up the fight.