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Reports of an impending US-Russia presidential meeting have been overstated, it seems.

Just days after President Trump said he planned to meet 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 preliminary meeting by the both countries' leading diplomats has been called off, as well.

"I prefer not to have a wasted meeting," President Trump informed the press at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. "I don't want a waste of time, so I will observe what transpires."

• Donald Trump states he did not want a 'wasted meeting' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin postponed
• Letdown in Kyiv as Zelensky departs Washington without results

The on-again, off-again summit is another development in Trump's efforts to broker an conclusion to war in Ukraine – a subject of renewed focus for the US president after he arranged a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.

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

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

However, the circumstances that converged 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 nearing four years.

Reduced Influence

According to the lead negotiator, the crucial element to unlocking a deal was the Israeli government's move to strike Hamas negotiators in Qatar. It was a move that angered US partners in the Arab world but gave Trump leverage to pressure Israel's leader Netanyahu into making a deal.

Trump benefited from a history of siding with the Israeli state dating back to his first term, encompassing his decision to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem, to alter America's position on the lawfulness of Jewish communities in the West Bank and, in recent times, his backing for Israeli defense operations against Iran.

The US president, in fact, is more popular among Israelis than Netanyahu – a position that gave him special sway over the nation's head.

Add in Trump's connections in politics and business to key Arab players in the area, and he had a abundant negotiating strength to force an agreement.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, Trump has significantly reduced leverage. Over the past nine months, he has swung between attempts to pressure Putin and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

The US leader has threatened to enact additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also acknowledged that such actions could disrupt the world's financial stability and intensify the conflict.

Meanwhile, the US leader has publicly berated Zelensky, halting briefly intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and pausing weapon deliveries to the country - then to back off in the wake of worried European partners who caution a defeat of Ukraine could destabilise the entire region.

Trump often boasts about his skill to meet and negotiate agreements, but his personal discussions with both Putin and Zelensky haven't seemed to advance the hostilities any closer to a resolution.

Putin may in fact 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, Russia's leader agreed to a high-level meeting in the US state just as it seemed probable that Trump would approve on legislative penalties supported by GOP senators. That legislation was afterwards delayed.

Recently, as reports spread that the White House was considering seriously sending long-range missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine, the president of Russia called Trump who then promoted the potential summit in Hungary.

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

The US leader insisted that he was not being manipulated by the Russian president.

"As you are aware, I have been manipulated throughout my career by skilled operators, and I emerged successfully," he said.

However the Ukrainian leader later made note of the timeline of developments.

"Once the matter of advanced weaponry became a less accessible for Ukraine – for Ukraine – the Russian side quickly became less engaged in negotiations," he stated.

So, in a short period, Trump has bounced from entertaining the prospect of providing weapons to the Eastern European country to planning a meeting in Hungary with Putin and confidentially pressuring Zelensky to cede the entire Donbas region – including territory Russia has been unable to conquer.

He has finally decided on calling for a truce along present frontlines – something the Russian government has rejected.

During his election campaign last year, the candidate vowed that he could resolve the Ukraine war in a matter of hours. He has since abandoned that pledge, saying that ending the hostilities is turning out more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the limits of his authority – and the challenge of finding a peace plan when both parties wants, or is able to, cease hostilities.