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Accounts of an impending American-Russian leadership meeting have been overstated, it seems.

Just days after President Trump said he intended to confer with Russia's leader Putin in the Hungarian capital - "in approximately a fortnight" - the high-level talks has been suspended indefinitely.

A initial meeting by the both countries' top diplomats has been cancelled, as well.

"I prefer not to have a fruitless discussion," Donald Trump informed reporters at the executive mansion on a recent weekday. "I aim to avoid a pointless effort, so I will observe what happens."

• Donald Trump says he wished to avoid a 'wasted meeting' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin postponed
• Disappointment in Ukraine's capital as Zelensky departs White House empty-handed

The on-again, off-again summit is just the latest twist in Trump's attempts to mediate an conclusion to war in the Eastern European nation – a topic of increased attention for the US president after he orchestrated a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.

While making remarks in the North African country recently to commemorate that truce deal, Trump turned to Steve Witkoff, with a new request.

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

However, the conditions that aligned to make a Middle East success achievable for the negotiation team may be difficult to duplicate in a conflict in Ukraine that has been raging for nearing several years.

Less Leverage

Per Witkoff, the crucial element to unlocking a deal was Israel's decision to attack Hamas negotiators in the Gulf state. It was a action that angered America's Arab allies but gave the president bargaining power to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu into making a deal.

The US president benefited from a history of supporting the Israeli state dating back to his first term, encompassing his choice to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem, to change America's position on the lawfulness of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and, more recently, his support for Israeli defense operations against the Islamic Republic.

The American leader, actually, is better regarded among the Israeli public than their prime minister – a position 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.

In the Ukraine war, on the other hand, Trump has much less leverage. In recent months, he has vacillated between efforts to strong-arm Putin and then the Ukrainian leader, all with minimal visible progress.

Trump has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also acknowledged that doing so could disrupt the world's financial stability and intensify the war.

At the same time, the president has criticized openly Ukraine's president, halting briefly information exchange with Ukraine and pausing weapon deliveries to the country - only to then back off in the face of worried European partners who warn a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the whole area.

The president often boasts about his ability to sit down and hammer out agreements, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders have not appeared to advance the hostilities any closer to a peaceful end.

Putin may actually be using Trump's desire for a deal – and faith in direct negotiations - as a means of manipulating him.

During the summer, Putin consented to a summit in the US state just as it seemed probable that the president would sign off on legislative penalties backed by GOP senators. That bill was afterwards put on hold.

Recently, as news emerged that the US administration was considering seriously shipping long-range missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the president of Russia phoned Trump who then promoted the possible summit in Hungary.

The following day, Trump hosted Zelensky at the executive residence, but left without agreements after a allegedly tense meeting.

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

"You know, I've been played all my life by skilled operators, and I emerged successfully," he said.

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

"As soon as the issue of advanced weaponry became a less accessible for us – for our nation – the Russian side almost automatically became less interested in diplomacy," he said.

So, in a matter of days, Trump has shifted from considering the idea of sending missiles to the Eastern European country to planning a meeting in Hungary with Putin and privately urging Zelensky to surrender all of Donbas – even territory Russia has been failed to capture.

He has finally settled on advocating a ceasefire along present frontlines – a proposal Russia has rejected.

On the campaign trail last year, the candidate vowed that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a very short time. He has since abandoned that commitment, saying that ending the war is turning out more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the limits of his power – and the challenge of finding a framework for peace when neither side wants, or can afford to, cease hostilities.