How Donald Trump Secured a Major Step in the Middle East But Faces Challenges Regarding Vladimir Putin Concerning Ukraine

Accounts of an upcoming American-Russian leadership summit have been greatly exaggerated, apparently.

Just days after Donald Trump announced he intended to confer with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest - "in approximately a fortnight" - the high-level talks has been suspended indefinitely.

A initial meeting by the two nations' leading diplomats has been cancelled, too.

"I don't want to have a wasted meeting," President Trump informed the press at the White House on a recent weekday. "I don't want a pointless effort, so I will observe what happens."

• Donald Trump states he wished to avoid a 'wasted meeting' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin shelved
• Letdown in Kyiv as President Zelensky leaves Washington without results

The frequently changing meeting is just the latest twist in the president's efforts to mediate an conclusion to hostilities in Ukraine – a subject of renewed focus for the US president after he orchestrated a truce and hostage release deal 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 resolved," he declared.

Nonetheless, the circumstances that aligned to make a Gaza breakthrough 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

Per the lead negotiator, the crucial element to achieving a deal was Israel's decision to attack Hamas negotiators in the Gulf state. It was a action that infuriated US partners in the Arab world but gave the president bargaining power to compel Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu into reaching an agreement.

Trump gained from a long record of siding with the Israeli state dating back to his initial presidency, encompassing his choice to relocate the American embassy to the contested city, to alter America's position on the legality of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and, in recent times, his support for Israeli defense operations against Iran.

The American leader, actually, is more popular among the Israeli public than Netanyahu – a position that provided him with unique influence over the nation's head.

Add in the president's connections in politics and business to key Arab players in the region, and he had a abundant negotiating strength to force an deal.

In the Ukraine war, on the other hand, Trump has much less leverage. In recent months, he has swung between attempts to strong-arm Putin and then the Ukrainian leader, all with little seeming effect.

The US leader has threatened to impose additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to supply Ukraine with advanced missile systems. But he has also acknowledged that doing so could disrupt the world's financial stability and intensify the conflict.

At the same time, the president has publicly berated Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off information exchange with Ukraine and suspending weapon deliveries to the country - then to retreat in the wake of concerned European allies who warn a defeat of Ukraine could disrupt the entire region.

Trump often boasts about his skill to meet and negotiate deals, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders haven't seemed to advance the war any nearer a peaceful end.

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

During the summer, Putin agreed to a summit in the US state at the time when it seemed probable that the president would approve on legislative penalties backed by GOP senators. That bill was subsequently put on hold.

Recently, as news emerged that the White House was considering seriously shipping long-range missiles and Patriot anti-air batteries to Ukraine, the Russian leader called Trump who then promoted the possible summit in Hungary.

The following day, Trump welcomed Ukraine's leader at the White House, but departed empty-handed after a reportedly tense meeting.

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

"As you are aware, I've been played all my life by the best of them, and I emerged successfully," he remarked.

However the Ukrainian leader subsequently commented on the timeline of developments.

"Once the issue of advanced weaponry became a little further away for Ukraine – for our nation – Russia almost automatically became less engaged in diplomacy," he stated.

Thus, in a short period, Trump has bounced from entertaining the prospect of providing weapons to the Eastern European country to planning a Budapest summit with Putin and privately pressuring Zelensky to surrender the entire Donbas region – including territory Russia has been failed to capture.

He has ultimately settled on advocating a truce along present frontlines – something the Russian government has rejected.

On the campaign trail last year, Trump promised that he could resolve the Ukraine war in a matter of hours. He has subsequently abandoned that commitment, saying that ending the hostilities is turning out more difficult than he anticipated.

It has been a rare acknowledgement of the limits of his authority – and the difficulty of finding a peace plan when both parties desires, or can afford to, cease hostilities.