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Accounts of an upcoming US-Russia leadership summit have been greatly exaggerated, apparently.

Just days after President Trump announced he intended to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest - "in approximately a fortnight" - the high-level talks has been suspended indefinitely.

A preliminary meeting by the both countries' top diplomats has been cancelled, too.

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," Donald Trump told the press at the executive mansion on Tuesday afternoon. "I aim to avoid a waste of time, so I will observe what transpires."

• Donald Trump states he wished to avoid a 'wasted meeting' after arrangement for Putin talks postponed
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as President Zelensky departs White House empty-handed

The on-again, off-again summit is another twist in the president's attempts to broker an end to war in Ukraine – a topic of increased attention for the American leader after he arranged a truce and hostage release agreement in the Palestinian territory.

While making remarks in Egypt recently to commemorate that truce deal, the president addressed his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a fresh directive.

"We have to get the Russian situation resolved," he declared.

However, the circumstances that aligned to make a Gaza breakthrough achievable for the negotiation team may be challenging to duplicate in a Ukraine war that has been raging for nearing several years.

Less Leverage

Per Witkoff, the crucial element to achieving a agreement was the Israeli government's move to strike representatives of Hamas in Qatar. It was a move that angered America's Arab allies but provided the president leverage to compel Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump benefited from a history of siding with the Israeli state dating back to his initial presidency, encompassing his decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, to change America's position on the legality of Jewish communities in the West Bank and, more recently, his backing for Israeli defense operations against the Islamic Republic.

The American leader, actually, is better regarded among the Israeli public than Netanyahu – a position that provided him with unique influence over the Israeli leader.

Combine the president's political and economic ties to influential Arab nations in the area, and he had a abundant diplomatic muscle to secure an agreement.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, on the other hand, the president has significantly reduced influence. In recent months, he has swung between efforts to pressure the Russian president and then the Ukrainian leader, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to supply the Ukrainian forces 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 publicly berated Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with the country and pausing weapon deliveries to the nation - only to then retreat in the face of worried European partners who caution a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the whole area.

The president 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 advance the hostilities any closer to a peaceful end.

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

During the summer, Putin agreed to a summit in the US state just as it seemed probable that the president would sign off on legislative penalties supported by GOP senators. That bill was afterwards delayed.

Recently, as news emerged that the White House was considering seriously sending Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine, the Russian leader phoned the US president who then promoted the potential meeting in Hungary.

The next day, the president welcomed Ukraine's leader at the executive residence, but departed without agreements after a reportedly tense meeting.

Trump maintained that he was not being manipulated by Putin.

"You know, I've been played throughout my career by skilled operators, and I emerged successfully," he said.

However the Ukrainian leader subsequently commented on the timeline of developments.

"As soon as the matter of advanced weaponry became a little further away for Ukraine – for our nation – Russia quickly became less engaged in diplomacy," he stated.

So, in a matter of days, Trump has bounced from entertaining the prospect of providing weapons to the Eastern European country to organizing a meeting in Hungary with Putin and privately urging Zelensky to surrender the entire Donbas region – including land Russia has been unable to conquer.

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

On the campaign trail last year, Trump vowed that he could end the Ukraine war in a matter of hours. He has subsequently abandoned that pledge, saying that ending the hostilities is proving harder than he anticipated.

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