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Reports of an upcoming American-Russian presidential summit have been overstated, apparently.

Just days after Donald Trump announced he intended to confer with Russia's leader Putin in Budapest - "within two weeks or so" - the summit has been suspended indefinitely.

A preliminary get-together by the two nations' leading diplomats has been cancelled, as well.

"I don't want to have a wasted meeting," Donald Trump informed the press at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. "I don't want a waste of time, so I will observe what transpires."

• Donald Trump states he did not want a 'unproductive session' after plan for Putin talks postponed
• Letdown in Kyiv as President Zelensky departs Washington empty-handed

The on-again, off-again meeting is just the latest development in the president's efforts to mediate an conclusion to hostilities in Ukraine – a subject of increased attention for the American leader after he orchestrated a truce and hostage release deal in the Palestinian territory.

While making remarks in the North African country last week to commemorate that ceasefire agreement, the president addressed Steve Witkoff, with a fresh directive.

"It is essential to get the Russian situation done," he declared.

Nonetheless, the circumstances that aligned to make a Gaza breakthrough possible for the negotiation team may be difficult to replicate in a Ukraine war that has been ongoing for almost several years.

Reduced Influence

Per Witkoff, the key to unlocking a agreement was the Israeli government's move to attack representatives of Hamas in Qatar. It was a action that infuriated US partners in the Arab world but provided the president bargaining power to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump gained from a long record of siding with the Israeli state since his first term, encompassing his choice to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, to change America's position on the lawfulness of Jewish communities in the occupied territories and, more recently, his support for Israeli defense operations against Iran.

The US president, in fact, is more popular among the Israeli public than their prime minister – a situation that provided him with unique influence over the Israeli leader.

Add in Trump's connections in politics and business to key Arab players in the region, and he had a abundant negotiating strength to secure an agreement.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, the president has much less influence. In recent months, he has swung between efforts to pressure the Russian president and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has warned to enact new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to supply the Ukrainian forces with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that such actions could harm the world's financial stability and further escalate the conflict.

Meanwhile, the president has criticized openly Zelensky, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with the country and suspending weapon deliveries to the country - only to then back off in the wake of worried European partners who caution a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the whole area.

Trump loves to tout his ability 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 peaceful end.

The Russian president may in fact be using Trump's desire for a deal – and faith in direct negotiations - as a method of influencing him.

During the summer, Russia's leader agreed to a summit in Alaska at the time when it appeared likely that Trump would sign off on legislative penalties supported by GOP senators. That legislation was subsequently put on hold.

Recently, as news emerged that the US administration was considering seriously sending Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine, the president of Russia called Trump who then touted the potential meeting in Budapest.

The following day, the president welcomed Zelensky at the executive residence, but departed empty-handed after a allegedly strained discussion.

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

"You know, I have been manipulated throughout my career by skilled operators, and I came out successfully," he said.

However the president of Ukraine later commented on the sequence of events.

"Once the matter of long-range mobility became a less accessible for Ukraine – for Ukraine – Russia almost automatically became less engaged in negotiations," he stated.

Thus, in a matter of days, Trump has bounced from considering the idea of sending missiles to the Eastern European country to planning a meeting in Hungary with Russia's leader and privately urging Zelensky to surrender the entire Donbas region – even land Russia has been failed to capture.

He has ultimately decided on advocating a ceasefire along current battle lines – a proposal the Russian government has rejected.

During his election campaign previously, the candidate vowed that he could end the Ukraine war in a matter of hours. He has since abandoned that pledge, saying that ending the hostilities is proving more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the limits of his power – and the challenge of finding a peace plan when both parties wants, or is able to, give up the fight.