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Reports of an upcoming US-Russia presidential summit have been overstated, apparently.

Only a few days after President Trump said he planned to meet Russian President Putin in Budapest - "within two weeks or so" - the summit has been put off without a new date.

A preliminary get-together by the two nations' top diplomats has been cancelled, as well.

"I prefer not to have a wasted meeting," Donald Trump told the press at the White House on a recent weekday. "I don't want a pointless effort, so I'll see what happens."

• Donald Trump states he did not want a 'unproductive session' after arrangement for Putin talks postponed
• Disappointment in Ukraine's capital as President Zelensky departs White House without results

The frequently changing meeting is just the latest development in Trump's efforts to mediate an conclusion to hostilities in Ukraine – a subject of increased attention for the American leader after he orchestrated a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza.

During a speech in the North African country last week to celebrate that ceasefire agreement, Trump addressed his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.

"It is essential to get the Russian situation resolved," he declared.

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

Reduced Influence

Per Witkoff, the crucial element to unlocking a agreement was the Israeli government's move to attack representatives of Hamas in the Gulf state. It was a action that infuriated America's Arab allies but gave Trump bargaining power to compel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into making a deal.

Trump gained from a history of siding with Israel dating back to his initial presidency, including his choice to relocate the US embassy to the contested city, to change US policy on the legality of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and, more recently, his backing for Israeli defense operations against the Islamic Republic.

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

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

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, on the other hand, Trump has much less influence. In recent months, he has swung between efforts to pressure the Russian president and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has warned to enact new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to supply the Ukrainian forces with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that doing so could disrupt the world's financial stability 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 weapon deliveries to the nation - then to back off in the face of worried European partners who caution a Ukrainian collapse could destabilise the whole area.

Trump loves to tout his skill to meet and hammer out agreements, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders have not appeared to advance the war any nearer a peaceful end.

Putin may actually be exploiting Trump's desire for a deal – and belief in direct negotiations - as a method of manipulating him.

In July, Russia's leader consented to a summit in Alaska at the time when it appeared likely that Trump would sign off on legislative penalties backed by Senate Republicans. That legislation was subsequently delayed.

Last week, as reports spread that the White House was considering seriously shipping Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot anti-air batteries to Ukraine, the Russian leader called the US president who then touted the potential summit in Budapest.

The next day, the president hosted Zelensky at the executive residence, but left empty-handed after a allegedly tense meeting.

Trump insisted that he was not being played by Putin.

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

However the president of Ukraine later commented on the sequence of events.

"Once the matter of advanced weaponry became a less accessible for Ukraine – for our nation – Russia almost automatically became less engaged in diplomacy," he said.

Thus, in a short period, Trump has shifted from considering the idea of providing weapons to the Eastern European country to planning a Budapest summit with Putin and privately pressuring Zelensky to cede all of Donbas – including territory Russia has been unable to conquer.

He has finally decided on calling for a truce along current battle lines – something Russia has refused to accept.

During his election campaign last year, the candidate vowed that he could end the Ukraine war in a very short time. He has subsequently discarded that commitment, saying that concluding the war is turning out more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the constraints of his authority – and the difficulty of finding a peace plan when both parties desires, or is able to, cease hostilities.