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Reports of an upcoming US-Russia presidential summit have been greatly exaggerated, it seems.

Just days after President Trump announced he intended to confer with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital - "within two weeks or so" - the summit has been put off without a new date.

A initial get-together by the two nations' leading diplomats has been cancelled, too.

"I don't want to have a wasted meeting," Donald Trump told reporters at the executive mansion on a recent weekday. "I aim to avoid a waste of time, so I'll see what happens."

• Donald Trump states he did not want a 'wasted meeting' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin shelved
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as President Zelensky leaves Washington without results

The frequently changing meeting is just the latest development in the president's attempts to mediate an end to hostilities in the Eastern European nation – a topic of renewed focus for the US president after he arranged a truce and hostage release deal in Gaza.

During a speech in the North African country last week to commemorate that truce deal, the president addressed Steve Witkoff, with a fresh directive.

"We have to get Russia done," he said.

However, the circumstances that converged to make a Middle East success achievable for Witkoff and his team may be challenging to replicate in a Ukraine war that has been ongoing for almost four years.

Less Leverage

Per Witkoff, the key to unlocking a agreement was Israel's move to strike representatives of Hamas in Qatar. It was a move that angered America's Arab allies but gave Trump bargaining power to compel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump benefited from a history of supporting the Israeli state since his initial presidency, encompassing his choice to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, to alter US policy on the lawfulness of Jewish communities in the occupied territories and, in recent times, his backing for Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic.

The American leader, actually, is more popular among Israelis than Netanyahu – a situation that provided him with special sway over the Israeli leader.

Add in Trump's political and economic ties to key Arab players in the area, and he had a abundant diplomatic muscle to secure an deal.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, 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.

The US leader has warned to impose additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to supply Ukraine with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that doing so could harm the world's financial stability and further escalate the war.

At the same time, the US leader has publicly berated Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off information exchange with the country and suspending weapon deliveries to the nation - only to then retreat in the wake of concerned European allies who warn a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the whole area.

Trump loves to tout his skill to meet and negotiate agreements, but his face-to-face meetings with both Putin and Zelensky have not appeared to move the hostilities any closer to a peaceful end.

Putin may actually be using Trump's desire for a settlement – and belief in in-person deal-making - as a means of influencing him.

In July, Putin consented to a summit in the US state just as it seemed probable that Trump would sign off on legislative penalties supported by Senate Republicans. That legislation was afterwards delayed.

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

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

Trump insisted that he was not being played by Putin.

"As you are aware, I've been played throughout my career by skilled operators, and I came out successfully," he said.

But the Ukrainian leader subsequently made note of the timeline of developments.

"As soon as the matter of long-range mobility became a little further away for Ukraine – for Ukraine – the Russian side quickly became less interested in diplomacy," he said.

So, in a matter of days, the president has bounced from considering the idea of sending missiles to Ukraine 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 finally decided on calling for a ceasefire along present frontlines – a proposal the Russian government has rejected.

On the campaign trail previously, Trump vowed that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of hours. He has subsequently abandoned that commitment, admitting that ending the hostilities is turning out more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the constraints of his power – and the challenge of establishing a peace plan when neither side desires, or can afford to, give up the fight.