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Accounts of an impending American-Russian presidential summit have been overstated, apparently.

Only a few days after President Trump announced he intended to meet Russian President Putin in Budapest - "in approximately a fortnight" - the high-level talks 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 wasted meeting," Donald Trump told reporters at the executive mansion on a recent weekday. "I don't want a waste of time, so I will observe what happens."

• Trump states he wished to avoid a 'wasted meeting' after plan for negotiations with Putin postponed
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as President Zelensky departs Washington empty-handed

The frequently changing summit is another development in Trump's attempts to mediate an conclusion to war in Ukraine – a subject of increased attention for the US president after he arranged a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Palestinian territory.

During a speech in Egypt last week to celebrate that truce deal, Trump addressed Steve Witkoff, with a fresh directive.

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

However, the conditions that converged to make a Middle East success achievable for the negotiation team may be difficult to duplicate in a Ukraine war that has been ongoing for almost four years.

Less Leverage

According to the lead negotiator, the key to unlocking a deal was Israel's decision to strike representatives of Hamas in the Gulf state. It was a action that angered US partners in the Arab world but provided the president leverage to compel Israel's leader Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump benefited from a long record of siding with Israel dating back to his initial presidency, including his decision to relocate the US embassy to the contested city, to change US policy on the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and, in recent times, his backing for Israel's military campaign against Iran.

The American leader, actually, is more popular among the Israeli public than Netanyahu – a position that gave him special sway over the nation's head.

Add in Trump's connections in politics and business to influential Arab nations in the region, and he had a abundant negotiating strength to secure an agreement.

In the Ukraine war, by contrast, Trump has much less influence. Over the past nine months, he has vacillated between attempts to pressure Putin and then the Ukrainian leader, all with minimal visible progress.

The US leader has warned to enact new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to provide the Ukrainian forces with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that such actions could harm the world's financial stability and further escalate the war.

Meanwhile, the US leader has criticized openly Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with the country and pausing weapon deliveries to the country - only to then back off in the wake of concerned European allies who warn a defeat of Ukraine could destabilise the whole area.

The president loves to tout his ability to sit down and hammer out agreements, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders haven't seemed to move the hostilities any closer to a peaceful end.

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

During the summer, Russia's leader consented to a high-level meeting in Alaska at the time when it appeared likely that the president would approve on congressional sanctions package supported by GOP senators. That legislation was subsequently put on hold.

Recently, as reports spread that the White House was seriously contemplating sending long-range missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine, the president of Russia phoned the US president who then touted the possible summit in Budapest.

The following day, Trump hosted Zelensky at the White House, but departed empty-handed after a allegedly strained discussion.

The US leader maintained that he was not being manipulated by Putin.

"As you are aware, I've been played all my life by the best of them, and I emerged really well," he said.

However the Ukrainian leader later made note of the sequence of events.

"Once the issue of advanced weaponry became a less accessible for Ukraine – for Ukraine – Russia almost automatically became less interested in negotiations," he said.

Thus, in a short period, Trump has bounced from considering the idea of sending missiles to Ukraine to planning a Budapest summit with Russia's leader and confidentially urging Zelensky to cede all of Donbas – even land Russian forces has been unable to conquer.

He has ultimately decided on advocating a truce along present frontlines – something Russia has rejected.

During his election campaign last year, the candidate promised that he could end the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of hours. He has subsequently abandoned that pledge, admitting that concluding the war is turning out harder than he anticipated.

It has been a uncommon admission of the limits of his authority – and the difficulty of establishing a framework for peace when both parties desires, or can afford to, give up the fight.