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Reports of an upcoming American-Russian leadership meeting have been overstated, apparently.

Only a few days after Donald Trump announced he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest - "in approximately a fortnight" - the summit has been put off without a new date.

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

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," President Trump informed the press at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. "I aim to avoid a waste of time, so I will observe what happens."

• Donald Trump states he did not want a 'wasted meeting' after plan for negotiations with Putin shelved
• Disappointment in Ukraine's capital as Zelensky leaves White House 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 topic of increased attention for the US president after he arranged a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in the Palestinian territory.

During a speech in the North African country recently to commemorate that ceasefire agreement, the president turned to Steve Witkoff, with a fresh directive.

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

However, the conditions that aligned to make a Middle East success achievable for the negotiation team may be challenging to duplicate in a Ukraine war that has been raging for nearing several years.

Reduced Influence

Per the lead negotiator, the crucial element to unlocking a agreement was the Israeli government's move to strike representatives of Hamas in Qatar. It was a move that infuriated America's Arab allies but provided Trump leverage to pressure Israel's leader Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

The US president benefited from a history of siding with Israel since his first term, including his choice to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem, to alter US policy on the lawfulness of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and, in recent times, his backing for Israel's military campaign against Iran.

The US president, actually, is better regarded among Israelis than Netanyahu – a situation that provided him with unique influence over the Israeli leader.

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

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, Trump has significantly reduced leverage. In recent months, he has vacillated between efforts to pressure the Russian president and then the Ukrainian leader, all with minimal visible progress.

Trump has warned to enact additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to provide the Ukrainian forces with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that such actions could disrupt the global economy and intensify the war.

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 concerned European allies who caution a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the whole area.

Trump loves to tout his ability to meet and negotiate deals, but his face-to-face meetings with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders have not appeared to move the war any nearer a peaceful end.

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

In July, Russia's leader agreed to a summit in Alaska at the time when it seemed probable that the president would sign off on congressional sanctions package supported by GOP senators. That bill was subsequently delayed.

Last week, as reports spread that the White House was seriously contemplating shipping Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the Russian leader phoned Trump who then touted the possible meeting in Hungary.

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

Trump insisted 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 really well," he said.

But the president of Ukraine later made note of 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 engaged in negotiations," he stated.

Thus, in a matter of days, Trump has shifted from entertaining the prospect of sending missiles to Ukraine to planning a Budapest summit with Russia's leader and privately pressuring Zelensky to cede all of Donbas – even territory Russian forces has been failed to capture.

He has finally decided on advocating a ceasefire along present frontlines – something the Russian government has refused to accept.

During his election campaign last year, Trump vowed that he could resolve the Ukraine war in a very short time. He has since abandoned that pledge, admitting that ending the war is turning out more difficult than he anticipated.

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