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Accounts of an upcoming US-Russia presidential summit have been greatly exaggerated, apparently.

Just days after President Trump announced he intended to confer with Russian President Putin in the Hungarian capital - "in approximately a fortnight" - the high-level talks has been put off without a new date.

A initial get-together by the both countries' top diplomats has been cancelled, too.

"I prefer not to have a wasted meeting," Donald Trump informed reporters at the White House on a recent weekday. "I don't want a pointless effort, so I will observe what happens."

• Trump states he wished to avoid a 'unproductive session' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin postponed
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as Zelensky leaves Washington without results

The frequently changing meeting is just the latest twist in Trump's efforts to mediate an end to hostilities in Ukraine – a topic of increased attention for the US president after he orchestrated a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in the Palestinian territory.

During a speech in Egypt last week to celebrate that ceasefire agreement, the president addressed Steve Witkoff, with a new request.

"It is essential to get the Russian situation resolved," he said.

However, the conditions that converged to make a Gaza breakthrough achievable for Witkoff and his team may be challenging to duplicate in a conflict in Ukraine that has been ongoing for almost several years.

Reduced Influence

According to the lead negotiator, the key to achieving a deal was the Israeli government's move to strike representatives of Hamas in the Gulf state. It was a move that infuriated America's Arab allies but provided the president leverage to compel Israel's leader Netanyahu into making a deal.

The US president gained from a history of supporting Israel dating back to his initial presidency, including his choice to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, to alter America's position on the lawfulness of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and, more recently, his backing for Israeli defense operations against Iran.

The US president, in fact, is better regarded among Israelis than their prime minister – a situation that provided him with special sway over the Israeli leader.

Add in the president's political and economic ties to influential Arab nations in the area, and he had a abundant diplomatic muscle to secure an agreement.

In the Ukraine war, on the other hand, Trump has much less influence. Over the past nine months, he has swung between efforts to pressure the Russian president and then the Ukrainian leader, all with minimal visible progress.

Trump has threatened to impose 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 harm the world's financial stability and further escalate the conflict.

Meanwhile, the president has publicly berated 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 Ukrainian collapse could destabilise the whole area.

Trump loves to tout his skill to meet and negotiate agreements, but his personal discussions with both Putin and Zelensky haven't seemed to advance the war any closer to a peaceful end.

The Russian president may in fact be exploiting Trump's desire for a settlement – and faith in direct negotiations - as a method of manipulating him.

In July, Russia's leader agreed to a high-level meeting in Alaska just as it appeared likely that the president would sign off on legislative penalties supported by GOP senators. That bill was afterwards put on hold.

Recently, as news emerged that the White House was considering seriously shipping long-range missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the Russian leader phoned Trump who then touted the possible summit in Budapest.

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

The US leader insisted that he was not being played by Putin.

"As you are aware, I have been manipulated all my life by the best of them, and I emerged successfully," he remarked.

But the Ukrainian leader later commented on the timeline of developments.

"Once the issue of long-range mobility became a less accessible for Ukraine – for our nation – Russia quickly became less engaged in negotiations," he said.

So, in a short period, Trump has bounced from considering the idea of providing weapons to Ukraine to planning a meeting in Hungary with Russia's leader and confidentially pressuring Zelensky to surrender the entire Donbas region – including land Russia has been failed to capture.

He has ultimately decided on calling for a truce along current battle lines – something the Russian government has refused to accept.

On the campaign trail previously, Trump promised that he could end the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of hours. He has subsequently abandoned that pledge, admitting that ending the war is proving harder than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the constraints of his power – and the challenge of establishing a framework for peace when both parties wants, or is able to, give up the fight.