How Donald Trump Achieved a Major Step in the Middle East But Faces Challenges With Putin Over Ukraine

Accounts of an impending US-Russia presidential summit have been greatly exaggerated, apparently.

Just days after President Trump announced he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir 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, too.

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," President Trump informed reporters at the White House on a recent weekday. "I don't want a pointless effort, so I will observe what transpires."

• Trump says he wished to avoid a 'wasted meeting' after plan for negotiations with Putin shelved
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as President Zelensky leaves Washington empty-handed

The on-again, off-again meeting is another development in Trump's attempts to mediate an conclusion to war in Ukraine – a subject of increased attention for the American leader after he orchestrated a truce and prisoner exchange agreement in the Palestinian territory.

During a speech in the North African country last week to celebrate that truce deal, Trump turned to his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.

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

Nonetheless, the circumstances that converged 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 almost several years.

Less Leverage

Per Witkoff, the crucial element to unlocking a agreement was the Israeli government's decision to attack Hamas negotiators in the Gulf state. It was a action that angered America's Arab allies but gave the president leverage to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump benefited from a long record of supporting Israel dating back to his initial presidency, encompassing his decision to move the American embassy to the contested city, to change US policy on the legality of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and, more recently, his backing for Israel's military campaign against Iran.

The US president, in fact, is better regarded among the Israeli public than their prime minister – a situation that provided him with unique influence over the nation's head.

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

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, by contrast, Trump has much less influence. In recent months, he has vacillated between attempts to pressure Putin and then the Ukrainian leader, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has warned to enact new sanctions on Russian energy exports and to provide the Ukrainian forces with new long-range weapons. But he has also recognised that doing so could harm the global economy and further escalate the war.

Meanwhile, the president has criticized openly Ukraine's president, halting briefly information exchange with the country and pausing weapon deliveries to the country - then to back off in the face of concerned European allies who caution a defeat of Ukraine could disrupt the entire region.

The president loves to tout his skill to sit down and hammer out agreements, but his face-to-face meetings with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders haven't seemed to advance the war any nearer a resolution.

Putin may actually be using the US leader's wish for a deal – and faith in direct negotiations - as a method of influencing him.

In July, Putin agreed to a summit in the US state at the time when it appeared likely that Trump would approve on legislative penalties backed by GOP senators. That bill was subsequently put on hold.

Last week, as news emerged that the US administration was seriously contemplating shipping long-range 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 White House, but left without agreements after a allegedly strained discussion.

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

"You know, I have been manipulated throughout my career by the best of them, and I came out successfully," he remarked.

However the president of Ukraine subsequently commented on the sequence of events.

"As soon as the matter of advanced weaponry became a little further away for Ukraine – for Ukraine – Russia quickly became less engaged in diplomacy," he said.

Thus, in a matter of days, Trump has bounced from considering the idea of sending missiles to the Eastern European country to organizing a meeting in Hungary with Russia's leader and privately urging Zelensky to cede all of Donbas – including territory Russian forces has been failed to capture.

He has finally decided on advocating a truce 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 matter of hours. He has since abandoned that pledge, saying that concluding the hostilities is proving more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the limits of his power – and the difficulty of establishing a peace plan when neither side wants, or can afford to, give up the fight.