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Accounts of an impending US-Russia presidential summit have been overstated, apparently.

Just days after Donald 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 initial get-together by the both countries' leading diplomats has been called off, as well.

"I prefer not to have a fruitless discussion," President Trump informed the press at the executive mansion on a recent weekday. "I don't want a waste of time, so I'll see what transpires."

• Donald Trump states he wished to avoid a 'wasted meeting' after plan for negotiations with Putin shelved
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as Zelensky departs White House without results

The on-again, off-again summit is just the latest development in the president's attempts to mediate an conclusion to war in the Eastern European nation – a subject of increased attention for the American leader after he orchestrated a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in the Palestinian territory.

During a speech in the North African country last week to celebrate that truce deal, Trump addressed Steve Witkoff, with a new request.

"We have to get the Russian situation done," he said.

Nonetheless, the circumstances that aligned to make a Middle East success possible for Witkoff and his team may be difficult to replicate in a Ukraine war that has been ongoing for almost several years.

Reduced Influence

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

Trump benefited from a long record of supporting Israel dating back to his initial presidency, encompassing his choice to relocate the US embassy to the contested city, to alter America's position on the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and, more recently, his support for Israeli defense operations against the Islamic Republic.

The US president, actually, is more popular among Israelis than Netanyahu – a situation that gave him unique influence over the nation's head.

Add in the president's connections in politics and business to key Arab players in the region, and he had a wealth of diplomatic muscle to secure an deal.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, on the other hand, the president has significantly reduced leverage. Over the past nine months, he has vacillated between attempts to pressure the Russian president and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has warned to impose new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to provide the Ukrainian forces with advanced missile systems. But he has also acknowledged that such actions could harm the global economy and further escalate the conflict.

Meanwhile, the US leader has publicly berated Zelensky, halting briefly intelligence-sharing with the country and pausing weapon deliveries to the country - then to retreat in the wake of concerned European allies who warn a defeat of Ukraine could destabilise the whole area.

Trump often boasts about his skill to sit down and negotiate deals, but his personal discussions with both Putin and Zelensky haven't seemed to move the war any nearer a resolution.

Putin may in fact be using the US leader's wish for a deal – and faith in in-person deal-making - as a means of influencing him.

During the summer, Russia's leader agreed to a summit in Alaska just as it seemed probable that the president would approve on congressional sanctions package supported by GOP senators. That bill was subsequently put on hold.

Recently, as reports spread that the US administration was seriously contemplating sending Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot anti-air batteries to Kyiv, the Russian leader called the US president who then promoted the possible meeting in Hungary.

The next day, Trump welcomed Ukraine's leader at the executive residence, but departed empty-handed after a allegedly tense meeting.

Trump insisted that he was not being manipulated by the Russian president.

"As you are aware, I have been manipulated all my life by skilled operators, and I came out successfully," he remarked.

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

"As soon as the issue of advanced weaponry became a little further away for us – for our nation – Russia almost automatically became less engaged in diplomacy," he stated.

So, in a short period, Trump has bounced from considering the idea of providing weapons to the Eastern European country to planning a Budapest summit with Putin and privately urging Zelensky to cede all of Donbas – even territory Russia has been failed to capture.

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

During his election campaign previously, the candidate vowed that he could end the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of hours. He has since abandoned that pledge, saying that ending the hostilities is proving more difficult than he expected.

It has been a rare acknowledgement of the constraints of his authority – and the challenge of finding a peace plan when both parties desires, or can afford to, give up the fight.