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Reports of an impending US-Russia presidential summit have been greatly exaggerated, apparently.

Only a few days after Donald Trump announced he intended to confer with Russia's leader Putin in Budapest - "within two weeks or so" - the high-level talks has been suspended indefinitely.

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

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

• Donald Trump says he wished to avoid a 'unproductive session' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin shelved
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as Zelensky departs White House empty-handed

The on-again, off-again summit is another development in Trump's attempts to broker an end to war in the Eastern European nation – a topic of increased attention for the American leader after he arranged a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.

While making remarks in the North African country last week to commemorate that ceasefire agreement, the president turned to his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.

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

However, the circumstances that converged to make a Gaza breakthrough achievable for Witkoff and his team may be difficult to replicate in a Ukraine war that has been raging for almost several years.

Less Leverage

According to the lead negotiator, the key to achieving a agreement was Israel's move to strike Hamas negotiators in the Gulf state. It was a move that angered US partners in the Arab world but gave Trump bargaining power to compel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into making a deal.

The US president gained from a history of supporting Israel dating back to his initial presidency, encompassing his decision to move the US embassy to the contested city, to change America's position on the legality of Jewish communities in the West Bank and, in recent times, his backing for Israel's military campaign against Iran.

The American leader, in fact, is better regarded among Israelis than Netanyahu – a situation that gave him special sway over the nation's head.

Add in the president's connections in politics and business to influential Arab nations in the area, and he had a abundant diplomatic muscle to force an deal.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, the president has much less influence. In recent months, he has swung between efforts to pressure the Russian president and then the Ukrainian leader, all with minimal visible progress.

Trump has warned to impose new sanctions on Russia's oil and gas sales and to provide Ukraine with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that doing so could harm the world's financial stability and intensify the conflict.

Meanwhile, the president has publicly berated Zelensky, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and suspending weapon deliveries to the nation - then to retreat in the face of worried European partners who warn a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the entire region.

Trump loves to tout his skill to sit down and negotiate agreements, but his face-to-face meetings with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders have not appeared to move the hostilities any nearer a peaceful end.

The Russian president may actually be exploiting the US leader's wish for a settlement – and belief in in-person deal-making - as a means of influencing him.

In July, Putin agreed to a summit in the US state at the time when it seemed probable that Trump would approve on congressional sanctions package supported by GOP senators. That bill was afterwards put on hold.

Recently, as news emerged that the US administration was seriously contemplating shipping Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the Russian leader phoned Trump who then touted the potential meeting in Hungary.

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

Trump insisted that he was not being played by Putin.

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

However the president of Ukraine subsequently made note of the timeline of developments.

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

So, in a short period, the president has bounced from considering the idea of sending missiles to the Eastern European country to organizing a meeting in Hungary with Russia's leader and privately urging the Ukrainian president to cede all of Donbas – including land Russia has been unable to conquer.

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

During his election campaign previously, the candidate promised that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of hours. He has subsequently abandoned that commitment, saying that concluding the hostilities is turning out more difficult than he anticipated.

It has been a rare acknowledgement of the constraints of his power – and the difficulty of establishing a framework for peace when both parties desires, or is able to, give up the fight.