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Reports of an upcoming American-Russian presidential summit have been overstated, apparently.

Just days after Donald Trump said he intended 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 initial meeting by the both countries' leading diplomats has been called off, as well.

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," President Trump informed the press at the executive mansion on a recent weekday. "I don't want a pointless effort, so I will observe what happens."

• Trump states he did not want a 'unproductive session' after plan for Putin talks shelved
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as President Zelensky departs White House without results

The frequently changing summit is just the latest twist in Trump's attempts to broker an end to war in Ukraine – 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 celebrate that truce deal, the president turned to Steve Witkoff, with a new request.

"It is essential to get Russia resolved," he said.

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

Reduced Influence

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

The US president benefited from a history of supporting the Israeli state dating back to his first term, including his choice to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, to alter America's position on the lawfulness of Jewish communities in the occupied territories and, more recently, his support for Israeli defense operations against the Islamic Republic.

The American leader, in fact, is more popular among the Israeli public than their prime minister – a situation that gave him 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 agreement.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, Trump has significantly reduced influence. Over the past nine months, he has vacillated between efforts to strong-arm Putin and then Zelensky, all with minimal visible progress.

Trump has threatened to impose additional penalties on Russian energy exports and to supply the Ukrainian forces with advanced missile systems. But he has also acknowledged that doing so could disrupt the global economy and further escalate the war.

Meanwhile, the US leader has criticized openly Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and pausing weapon deliveries to the country - then to back off in the face of worried European partners who warn a defeat of Ukraine could disrupt the entire region.

The president often boasts about his skill to meet and negotiate deals, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders haven't seemed to move the hostilities any closer to a resolution.

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

During the summer, Putin agreed to a summit in the US state just as it appeared likely that Trump would approve on legislative penalties backed by Senate Republicans. That bill was subsequently put on hold.

Recently, as news emerged that the White House was seriously contemplating sending Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the Russian leader called Trump who then touted the potential meeting in Budapest.

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

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

"As you are aware, I've been played throughout my career by the best of them, and I came out successfully," he said.

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

"Once the issue of long-range mobility became a little further away for Ukraine – for our nation – the Russian side almost automatically became less engaged in negotiations," he stated.

Thus, 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 Zelensky to cede the entire Donbas region – including territory Russian forces has been unable to conquer.

He has finally settled on calling for a ceasefire along present frontlines – a proposal the Russian government has rejected.

During his election campaign last year, 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 harder than he expected.

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