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Reports of an upcoming American-Russian leadership summit have been overstated, it seems.

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

A initial get-together by the two nations' top diplomats has been called off, as well.

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

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

The frequently changing summit is just the latest development in the president's attempts to mediate an conclusion to hostilities in the Eastern European nation – a topic of increased attention for the US president after he arranged a truce and prisoner exchange agreement in the Palestinian territory.

While making remarks in Egypt last week to celebrate that truce deal, the president turned to Steve Witkoff, with a new request.

"It is essential to get Russia done," he declared.

Nonetheless, the circumstances that converged to make a Middle East success possible for the negotiation team may be challenging to duplicate in a conflict in Ukraine that has been ongoing for almost four years.

Less Leverage

Per Witkoff, the key to achieving a deal was Israel's move to strike Hamas negotiators in Qatar. It was a move that angered America's Arab allies but gave the president bargaining power to compel Israel's leader Netanyahu into making a deal.

The US president benefited 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 Jewish communities in the occupied territories and, in recent times, his backing for Israeli defense operations against Iran.

The American leader, actually, is better regarded among the Israeli public than their prime minister – a situation that gave him unique influence over the Israeli leader.

Combine Trump's political and economic ties to influential Arab nations in the region, and he had a abundant negotiating strength to secure an deal.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, on the other hand, Trump has significantly reduced leverage. In recent months, he has vacillated between attempts to strong-arm the Russian president and then Zelensky, all with minimal visible progress.

Trump has warned to enact additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also recognised that such actions could disrupt the global economy and intensify the war.

At the same time, the US leader has criticized openly Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with the country and suspending arms shipments to the country - only to then back off in the face of worried European partners who caution a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the whole area.

The president loves to tout his skill 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 peaceful end.

The Russian president may in fact be using the US leader's wish for a settlement – and faith in direct negotiations - as a means of manipulating him.

During the summer, Russia's leader agreed to a high-level meeting in the US state just as it appeared likely that the president would approve on legislative penalties backed by GOP senators. That legislation was subsequently delayed.

Recently, as reports spread that the US administration was seriously contemplating shipping Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot anti-air batteries to Kyiv, the president of Russia called the US president who then touted the possible summit in Budapest.

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

Trump maintained that he was not being manipulated by the Russian president.

"As you are aware, I have been manipulated all my life by skilled operators, and I emerged successfully," he said.

But the president of Ukraine later commented on the timeline of developments.

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

So, in a matter of days, the president has bounced from entertaining the prospect of providing weapons to Ukraine to planning a Budapest summit with Russia's leader and confidentially pressuring the Ukrainian president to cede all of Donbas – even territory Russia has been unable to conquer.

He has ultimately decided on advocating a ceasefire along present frontlines – a proposal Russia has refused to accept.

During his election campaign last year, the candidate vowed that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a very short time. He has subsequently abandoned that pledge, admitting that ending the hostilities is turning out more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the constraints of his authority – and the challenge of establishing a framework for peace when both parties wants, or can afford to, give up the fight.