🔗 Share this article

Reports of an upcoming American-Russian leadership meeting have been overstated, it seems.

Only a few days after Donald Trump said he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest - "in approximately a fortnight" - the summit has been put off without a new date.

A preliminary get-together by the both countries' top diplomats has been cancelled, as well.

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," Donald Trump told the press at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. "I aim to avoid a pointless effort, so I'll see what transpires."

• Donald Trump says he did not want a 'unproductive session' after plan for negotiations with Putin shelved
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as President Zelensky departs White House empty-handed

The frequently changing meeting is another development in Trump's efforts to broker an end to hostilities in the Eastern European nation – a topic of increased attention for the US president after he arranged a truce and prisoner exchange agreement in the Palestinian territory.

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

"We have to get Russia resolved," he declared.

However, the conditions that aligned to make a Gaza breakthrough possible for Witkoff and his team may be difficult to replicate in a conflict in Ukraine that has been ongoing for nearing four years.

Less Leverage

According to Witkoff, the crucial element to achieving a deal was the Israeli government's decision to attack Hamas negotiators in Qatar. It was a move that infuriated America's Arab allies but gave Trump leverage to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu into making a deal.

The US president gained from a history of supporting Israel dating back to his initial presidency, encompassing his choice to move the American embassy to the contested city, to alter US policy on the lawfulness of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and, in recent times, his backing for Israeli defense operations against the Islamic Republic.

The American leader, in fact, is better regarded among Israelis than their prime minister – a situation that gave him special sway over the nation's head.

Add in Trump's connections in politics and business to influential Arab nations in the region, and he had a abundant negotiating strength to force an agreement.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, on the other hand, the president has much less leverage. Over the past nine months, he has vacillated between efforts to strong-arm the Russian president and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has warned to impose new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also recognised that such actions could disrupt the world's financial stability and intensify the conflict.

At the same time, the US leader has criticized openly Zelensky, halting briefly intelligence-sharing with the country and suspending arms shipments to the nation - only to then back off in the face of worried European partners who caution a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the entire region.

The president often boasts about his ability to sit down and negotiate agreements, but his personal discussions with both Putin and Zelensky have not appeared to move the war any nearer a peaceful end.

The Russian president may actually be exploiting the US leader's wish for a settlement – and faith in direct negotiations - as a method of influencing him.

In July, Putin agreed to a summit in Alaska just as it appeared likely that the president would sign off on congressional sanctions package backed by GOP senators. That legislation was subsequently delayed.

Last week, as news emerged that the US administration was seriously contemplating sending long-range missiles and Patriot anti-air batteries to Kyiv, the Russian leader called the US president who then touted the possible summit in Budapest.

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

The US leader insisted that he was not being manipulated by the Russian president.

"You know, I have been manipulated throughout my career by skilled operators, and I emerged really well," he remarked.

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

"As soon as the matter of advanced weaponry became a less accessible for Ukraine – for Ukraine – the Russian side quickly became less engaged in diplomacy," he said.

So, in a short period, the president has shifted from entertaining the prospect of sending missiles to Ukraine to planning a meeting in Hungary with Russia's leader and confidentially urging Zelensky to surrender all of Donbas – including territory Russian forces has been unable to conquer.

He has ultimately settled on calling for a truce along present frontlines – a proposal Russia has refused to accept.

During his election campaign last year, the candidate vowed that he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a very short time. He has subsequently discarded that commitment, admitting that ending the war is proving more difficult than he anticipated.

It has been a uncommon admission of the constraints of his authority – and the challenge of establishing a peace plan when both parties wants, or can afford to, cease hostilities.