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

Just days after President Trump said he intended to meet Russia's leader Putin in Budapest - "within two weeks or so" - the high-level talks has been suspended indefinitely.

A initial meeting by the two nations' leading diplomats has been cancelled, as well.

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," Donald Trump informed reporters at the White House on a recent weekday. "I don't want a waste of time, so I'll see what happens."

• Donald Trump says he did not want a 'wasted meeting' after plan for Putin talks shelved
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as Zelensky leaves White House empty-handed

The on-again, off-again meeting is just the latest twist in the president's attempts to mediate an conclusion to hostilities in Ukraine – a topic of increased attention for the US president after he orchestrated a truce and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.

While making remarks in Egypt recently to celebrate that truce deal, the president addressed his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.

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

However, the conditions that aligned to make a Middle East success possible for the negotiation team may be difficult to duplicate in a Ukraine war that has been ongoing for nearing several years.

Less Leverage

Per Witkoff, the crucial element to unlocking a agreement was the Israeli government's move to strike representatives of Hamas in the Gulf state. It was a action that infuriated America's Arab allies but gave the president leverage to compel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump benefited from a long record of supporting the Israeli state dating back to his first term, encompassing his choice to relocate the American embassy to the contested city, to change America's position on the legality of Jewish communities in the West Bank and, more recently, his support for Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic.

The US president, actually, is better regarded among Israelis than Netanyahu – a situation that gave him special sway over the Israeli leader.

Combine the president's connections in politics and business to influential Arab nations in the area, and he had a wealth of negotiating strength to secure an agreement.

In the Ukraine war, by contrast, Trump has significantly reduced leverage. In recent months, he has vacillated between attempts to pressure Putin and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has threatened to impose additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to supply Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also recognised that such actions could disrupt the world's financial stability and intensify the conflict.

Meanwhile, the president has publicly berated Zelensky, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with the country and suspending weapon deliveries to the country - only to then retreat in the wake of concerned European allies who caution a defeat of Ukraine could disrupt the entire region.

Trump often boasts about his skill to sit down and negotiate agreements, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders haven't seemed to move the war any nearer a resolution.

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

In July, Russia's leader consented to a high-level meeting in Alaska just as it seemed probable that Trump would approve on legislative penalties supported by Senate Republicans. That bill was afterwards delayed.

Recently, as news emerged that the White House was seriously contemplating sending long-range missiles and Patriot anti-air batteries to Ukraine, the president of Russia phoned Trump who then promoted the possible summit in Budapest.

The following day, Trump welcomed Zelensky at the executive residence, but left without agreements after a reportedly strained discussion.

Trump maintained that he was not being played by the Russian president.

"As you are aware, I've been played all my life by skilled operators, and I emerged really well," he remarked.

But the president of Ukraine later commented on the timeline of developments.

"As soon as the issue of advanced weaponry became a little further away for Ukraine – for our nation – the Russian side quickly became less interested in diplomacy," he said.

Thus, in a short period, Trump has bounced from considering the idea of sending missiles to the Eastern European country to planning a Budapest summit with Putin and confidentially urging Zelensky to cede all of Donbas – including territory Russian forces has been failed to capture.

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

During his election campaign previously, the candidate vowed that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of hours. He has since discarded that commitment, admitting that ending the hostilities is turning out harder than he anticipated.

It has been a rare acknowledgement 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.