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Accounts of an upcoming American-Russian leadership meeting have been greatly exaggerated, it seems.

Only a few days after President Trump announced he planned to meet Russia's leader Putin in Budapest - "within two weeks or so" - the high-level talks has been put off without a new date.

A initial meeting by the two nations' top diplomats has been cancelled, as well.

"I prefer not to have a wasted meeting," President Trump informed reporters at the executive mansion on Tuesday afternoon. "I don't want a waste of time, so I will observe what happens."

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

The on-again, off-again meeting is another twist in the president's efforts to broker an conclusion to hostilities in Ukraine – a subject of increased attention for the US president after he arranged a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.

While making remarks in Egypt recently to commemorate that truce deal, the president addressed Steve Witkoff, with a new request.

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

However, the circumstances that aligned to make a Gaza breakthrough possible for the negotiation team may be difficult to replicate in a conflict in Ukraine that has been ongoing for nearing several years.

Less Leverage

Per Witkoff, the crucial element to achieving a deal was the Israeli government's move to attack representatives of Hamas in the Gulf state. It was a action that infuriated US partners in the Arab world but gave the president leverage to compel Israel's leader Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump benefited from a history of siding with Israel dating back to his first term, encompassing his decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, to alter US policy on the lawfulness of Jewish communities in the occupied territories and, more recently, his backing for Israeli defense operations against Iran.

The American leader, in fact, is better regarded among Israelis than their prime minister – a position that provided him with unique influence over the nation's head.

Combine the president's connections in politics and business to influential Arab nations in the region, and he had a abundant diplomatic muscle to force an agreement.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, the president has much less influence. In recent months, he has vacillated between attempts to strong-arm the Russian president and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has warned to enact additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to provide the Ukrainian forces with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that doing so could harm the world's financial stability and further escalate the conflict.

Meanwhile, the US leader has publicly berated Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and pausing weapon deliveries to the nation - only to then retreat in the wake of concerned European allies who warn a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the entire region.

The president loves to tout his ability to meet and hammer out deals, but his face-to-face meetings with both Putin and Zelensky haven't seemed to advance the war any closer to a resolution.

The Russian president may actually be exploiting Trump's desire for a deal – and faith in in-person deal-making - as a method of manipulating him.

During the summer, Russia's leader consented to a high-level meeting in Alaska at the time when it seemed probable that Trump would sign off on congressional sanctions package supported by GOP senators. That legislation was afterwards delayed.

Last week, as reports spread that the White House was considering seriously shipping long-range missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine, the president of Russia called the US president who then touted the possible meeting in Budapest.

The next day, Trump welcomed Zelensky at the White House, but departed without agreements after a reportedly tense meeting.

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

"You know, I have been manipulated all my life by the best of them, and I emerged successfully," he remarked.

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

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

Thus, in a matter of days, Trump has bounced from considering the idea of providing weapons to Ukraine to planning a Budapest summit with Putin and confidentially pressuring the Ukrainian president to cede all of Donbas – even territory Russian forces has been unable to conquer.

He has finally decided on advocating a truce along present frontlines – something Russia has rejected.

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

It has been a rare acknowledgement of the constraints of his power – and the difficulty of establishing a peace plan when both parties desires, or is able to, cease hostilities.