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Reports of an upcoming US-Russia presidential meeting have been overstated, it seems.

Only a few days after Donald Trump announced he planned to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital - "within two weeks or so" - the summit has been put off without a new date.

A initial meeting by the two nations' top diplomats has been called off, too.

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

• Donald Trump says he wished to avoid a 'unproductive session' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin shelved
• Letdown in Kyiv as President Zelensky leaves Washington without results

The frequently changing meeting is just the latest development in the president's attempts to broker an conclusion to war in the Eastern European nation – a topic of renewed focus for the American leader after he orchestrated a truce 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 fresh directive.

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

However, the conditions that aligned to make a Middle East success achievable for Witkoff and his team may be difficult to replicate in a conflict in Ukraine that has been ongoing for nearing several years.

Less Leverage

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

The US president gained from a history of supporting the Israeli state since his first term, encompassing his decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, to change US policy on the legality of Jewish communities in the West Bank and, more recently, his backing for Israeli defense operations against Iran.

The American leader, actually, is better regarded among Israelis than Netanyahu – a position that provided him with unique influence over the nation's head.

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

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, on the other hand, the president has significantly reduced influence. Over the past nine months, he has swung between efforts to pressure Putin and then the Ukrainian leader, all with minimal visible progress.

Trump has threatened to impose 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 intensify the conflict.

Meanwhile, the president has publicly berated Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off information exchange with the country and suspending weapon deliveries to the nation - only to then retreat in the wake of concerned European allies who caution a defeat of Ukraine could disrupt the entire region.

Trump often boasts about his ability to sit down and hammer out deals, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders have not appeared to move the war any closer to a resolution.

The Russian president may actually be using the US leader's wish for a settlement – and belief in in-person deal-making - as a method of manipulating him.

During the summer, Russia's leader agreed to a summit in the US state at the time when it seemed probable that Trump would sign off on congressional sanctions package supported by GOP senators. That legislation was afterwards put on hold.

Recently, as reports spread that the US administration was seriously contemplating sending Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the president of Russia phoned the US president who then touted the potential summit in Budapest.

The next day, Trump hosted Ukraine's leader at the White House, but left empty-handed after a reportedly strained discussion.

The US leader insisted that he was not being played by Putin.

"You know, I have been manipulated all my life by skilled operators, and I came out really well," he remarked.

But the president of Ukraine subsequently made note of the timeline of developments.

"As soon as the matter of long-range mobility became a little further away for Ukraine – for Ukraine – Russia quickly became less engaged in negotiations," he stated.

So, in a short period, Trump has shifted from considering the idea of sending missiles to the Eastern European country to planning a meeting in Hungary with Russia's leader and confidentially pressuring Zelensky to cede the entire Donbas region – including land Russian forces has been unable to conquer.

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

During his election campaign last year, the candidate vowed that he could end the conflict in Ukraine in a very short time. He has subsequently discarded that pledge, admitting that ending the war is turning out harder than he anticipated.

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