🔗 Share this article

Reports of an impending American-Russian leadership meeting have been overstated, apparently.

Just days after Donald Trump said he intended to meet Russia's leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest - "in approximately a fortnight" - the summit has been suspended indefinitely.

A initial get-together by the two nations' top diplomats has been called off, as well.

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

• Donald Trump says he did not want a 'unproductive session' after plan for negotiations with Putin postponed
• Letdown in Kyiv as President Zelensky leaves Washington without results

The frequently changing summit is another twist in Trump's attempts to mediate an conclusion to war in the Eastern European nation – a subject of increased attention for the US president after he orchestrated a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in the Palestinian territory.

While making remarks in Egypt last week to celebrate that ceasefire agreement, Trump turned to his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a fresh directive.

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

Nonetheless, the conditions that aligned to make a Middle East success achievable for Witkoff and his team may be challenging to replicate in a Ukraine war that has been ongoing for nearing four years.

Less Leverage

According to the lead negotiator, the key to unlocking a deal was the Israeli government's move to attack Hamas negotiators in Qatar. It was a move that angered America's Arab allies but provided Trump leverage to compel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump gained from a history of supporting Israel dating back to his initial presidency, encompassing his decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, to change America's position on the lawfulness of Jewish communities in the West Bank and, in recent times, his support for Israeli defense operations against Iran.

The US president, in fact, is more popular among the Israeli public than their prime minister – a situation that gave him unique influence over the Israeli leader.

Combine the president'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, on the other hand, Trump has much less leverage. Over the past nine months, he has swung between efforts to pressure the Russian president and then the Ukrainian leader, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has threatened to enact additional penalties on Russian energy exports and to provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also recognised that such actions could harm the global economy and further escalate the conflict.

At the same time, the president has publicly berated Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and pausing weapon deliveries to the country - then to retreat in the wake of concerned European allies who warn a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the whole area.

Trump often boasts about his ability to sit down and hammer out agreements, but his personal discussions with both Putin and Zelensky have not appeared to advance the war any nearer a resolution.

The Russian president may in fact be using the US leader's wish for a deal – and belief in in-person deal-making - as a means of manipulating him.

During the summer, Putin agreed to a summit in Alaska at the time when it appeared likely that Trump would sign off on legislative penalties backed by Senate Republicans. That bill was afterwards delayed.

Recently, as news emerged that the White House was seriously contemplating shipping long-range missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine, the president of Russia called the US president who then touted the possible summit in Budapest.

The next day, the president hosted Zelensky at the White House, but left empty-handed after a reportedly strained discussion.

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

"You know, I have been manipulated all my life by skilled operators, and I came out really well," he said.

However the Ukrainian leader later commented on the sequence of events.

"Once the matter of long-range mobility became a less accessible for us – for Ukraine – Russia quickly became less interested in diplomacy," he stated.

So, in a short period, the president has bounced from considering the idea of providing weapons to Ukraine to planning a meeting in Hungary with Putin and privately pressuring Zelensky to surrender all of Donbas – including land Russia has been failed to capture.

He has ultimately settled on calling for a ceasefire along current battle lines – a proposal the Russian government has refused to accept.

During his election campaign previously, the candidate vowed that he could end the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of hours. He has subsequently abandoned that commitment, admitting that concluding the hostilities is proving more difficult than he anticipated.

It has been a rare acknowledgement of the limits of his power – and the challenge of finding a framework for peace when both parties desires, or can afford to, give up the fight.