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Reports of an upcoming American-Russian leadership summit have been greatly exaggerated, apparently.

Just days after President Trump said he intended to meet Russian President Putin in the Hungarian capital - "in approximately a fortnight" - the high-level talks has been suspended indefinitely.

A preliminary meeting by the both countries' top diplomats has been called off, as well.

"I don't want to have a wasted meeting," President Trump informed reporters at the White House on a recent weekday. "I don't want a pointless effort, so I'll see what happens."

• Trump states he did not want a 'wasted meeting' after arrangement for Putin talks postponed
• Disappointment in Kyiv as President Zelensky leaves Washington without results

The on-again, off-again meeting is another twist in Trump's efforts to broker an conclusion to war in Ukraine – a topic of renewed focus for the US president after he orchestrated a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in the Palestinian territory.

During a speech in the North African country last week to commemorate that ceasefire agreement, the president turned to Steve Witkoff, with a new request.

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

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

Less Leverage

Per the lead negotiator, the key to unlocking a agreement was Israel's move to attack Hamas negotiators in the Gulf state. It was a action that infuriated US partners in the Arab world but provided the president bargaining power to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into making a deal.

The US president benefited from a history of supporting the Israeli state dating back to his first term, including his decision to relocate the American embassy to the contested city, to alter America's position on the legality of Jewish communities in the occupied territories and, in recent times, his support for Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic.

The US president, actually, is more popular among Israelis than their prime minister – a position that provided him with special sway over the nation's head.

Combine Trump's connections in politics and business to influential Arab nations in the region, and he had a wealth of diplomatic muscle to force an deal.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, the president has much less leverage. Over the past nine months, he has swung between efforts to pressure the Russian president and then the Ukrainian leader, all with minimal visible progress.

The US leader has warned to enact additional penalties on Russian energy exports and to provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also recognised that such actions could harm the world's financial stability and further escalate the conflict.

At the same time, the president has publicly berated Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with the country and suspending arms shipments to the country - then to retreat in the wake of worried European partners who caution a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the whole area.

Trump loves to tout his skill to sit down and negotiate agreements, but his personal discussions with both Putin and Zelensky have not appeared to move the war any nearer a peaceful end.

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

During the summer, Russia's leader agreed to a summit in Alaska at the time when it appeared likely that the president would sign off on legislative penalties supported by Senate Republicans. That bill was subsequently delayed.

Last week, as reports spread that the US administration was seriously contemplating sending Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the Russian leader phoned Trump who then promoted the potential summit in Budapest.

The following day, Trump welcomed Ukraine's leader at the White House, but departed empty-handed after a allegedly tense meeting.

Trump maintained that he was not being played by Putin.

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

However the Ukrainian leader subsequently commented on the sequence of events.

"As soon as the matter of advanced weaponry became a less accessible for us – for Ukraine – the Russian side almost automatically became less interested in negotiations," he said.

So, in a short period, the president has shifted from considering the idea of sending missiles to Ukraine to planning a meeting in Hungary with Putin and confidentially urging the Ukrainian president to cede the entire Donbas region – including territory Russian forces has been unable to conquer.

He has ultimately settled on calling for a ceasefire along current battle lines – something the Russian government has rejected.

During his election campaign previously, Trump vowed that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a very short time. He has subsequently discarded that pledge, saying that ending the war is proving more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the limits of his power – and the challenge of establishing a framework for peace when both parties desires, or is able to, cease hostilities.