Why Trump Secured a Major Step in Gaza But Faces Challenges With Putin Concerning the Ukraine Conflict

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

Only a few days after Donald Trump said he intended to meet Russia's leader Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital - "within two weeks or so" - the high-level talks has been suspended indefinitely.

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

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," 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."

• Donald Trump says he did not want a 'unproductive session' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin postponed
• Disappointment in Ukraine's capital as President Zelensky leaves Washington empty-handed

The frequently changing meeting is just the latest development in the president's attempts to mediate an end to hostilities in Ukraine – a subject of increased attention for the US president after he orchestrated a truce and hostage release agreement in the Palestinian territory.

While making remarks in the North African country last week to commemorate that ceasefire agreement, the president addressed his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.

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

Nonetheless, the conditions that converged to make a Middle East success possible for the negotiation team may be challenging to replicate in a conflict in Ukraine that has been raging for nearing four years.

Reduced Influence

According to Witkoff, the crucial element to achieving a deal was Israel's move to strike representatives of Hamas in Qatar. It was a action that infuriated US partners in the Arab world but provided the president leverage to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu into making a deal.

Trump gained from a long record of supporting the Israeli state dating back to his initial presidency, including his choice to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem, to alter US policy on the lawfulness of Jewish communities in the West Bank and, in recent times, his backing for Israel's military campaign against Iran.

The American leader, actually, is better regarded among the Israeli public than Netanyahu – a position that provided him with special sway over the Israeli leader.

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

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, on the other hand, the president has significantly reduced leverage. Over the past nine months, he has swung between attempts to strong-arm Putin and then Zelensky, all with minimal visible progress.

Trump has warned to enact additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to supply Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also recognised that doing so could disrupt the world's financial stability and intensify the conflict.

At the same time, the president has publicly berated Zelensky, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and pausing arms shipments to the nation - then to retreat in the wake of worried European partners who warn a defeat of Ukraine could destabilise the whole area.

The president loves to tout his skill to meet and negotiate deals, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders haven't seemed to move the war any nearer a peaceful end.

The Russian president may in fact be exploiting Trump's desire for a deal – and belief 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 seemed probable that Trump would sign off on legislative penalties backed by Senate Republicans. That legislation was subsequently put on hold.

Recently, as reports spread that the White House was seriously contemplating sending Tomahawk cruise missiles and air defense systems to Kyiv, the president of Russia phoned Trump who then promoted the possible summit in Budapest.

The following day, the president hosted Ukraine's leader at the executive residence, but left without agreements after a allegedly strained discussion.

The US leader maintained that he was not being played by the Russian president.

"As you are aware, I've been played throughout my career by skilled operators, and I came out really well," he remarked.

However the president of Ukraine subsequently made note of the sequence of events.

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

Thus, in a short period, the president has shifted from considering the idea of providing weapons to Ukraine to organizing a Budapest summit with Putin and confidentially urging Zelensky to surrender the entire Donbas region – even territory Russian forces has been unable to conquer.

He has ultimately decided on advocating a truce along current battle lines – something Russia has refused to accept.

On the campaign trail previously, the candidate promised that he could resolve the Ukraine war in a very short time. He has since discarded that pledge, saying that ending the war is turning out more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the limits of his authority – and the difficulty of finding a peace plan when neither side wants, or is able to, give up the fight.