Why Trump Achieved a Breakthrough in the Middle East Yet Struggles Regarding Putin Over Ukraine

Reports of an impending American-Russian presidential meeting have been overstated, it seems.

Only a few days after President Trump said he intended to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital - "within two weeks or so" - the summit has been put off without a new date.

A preliminary meeting by the both countries' leading diplomats has been called off, as well.

"I don't want to have a fruitless discussion," Donald Trump told the press at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. "I don't want a pointless effort, so I will observe what happens."

• Donald Trump states he did not want a 'unproductive session' after arrangement for negotiations with Putin postponed
• Letdown in Ukraine's capital as Zelensky leaves White House without results

The frequently changing summit is just the latest twist in the president's attempts to broker an conclusion to war in the Eastern European nation – a subject of increased attention for the American leader after he arranged a truce and hostage release agreement in the Palestinian territory.

While making remarks in Egypt recently to commemorate that truce deal, the president turned to his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.

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

Nonetheless, the conditions that converged to make a Gaza breakthrough possible for the negotiation team may be challenging to duplicate in a conflict in Ukraine that has been ongoing for nearing several years.

Less Leverage

According to Witkoff, the key to achieving a deal was the Israeli government's decision to strike Hamas negotiators in Qatar. It was a action that infuriated America's Arab allies but provided Trump leverage to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu into making a deal.

Trump benefited from a history of siding with Israel since his initial presidency, encompassing his decision to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem, to alter US policy on the lawfulness of Jewish communities in the occupied territories and, more recently, his backing for Israel's military campaign against Iran.

The American leader, actually, is more popular among Israelis than their prime minister – a situation that gave him special sway over the Israeli leader.

Combine Trump's connections in politics and business to key Arab players in the region, and he had a abundant diplomatic muscle to force an agreement.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, on the other hand, the president has significantly reduced influence. In recent months, he has vacillated between efforts to strong-arm Putin and then Zelensky, all with little seeming effect.

Trump has threatened to enact additional penalties on Russia's oil and gas sales and to supply Ukraine with new long-range weapons. But he has also acknowledged that doing so could harm the global economy and intensify the conflict.

Meanwhile, the president has criticized openly Ukraine's president, temporarily cutting off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine and pausing arms shipments to the country - only to then retreat in the wake of concerned European allies who warn a Ukrainian collapse could disrupt the entire region.

The president often boasts about his skill to meet and negotiate deals, but his personal discussions with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders have not appeared to advance the war any closer to a resolution.

Putin may actually be exploiting Trump's desire 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 congressional sanctions package supported by GOP senators. That bill was afterwards delayed.

Last week, as reports spread that the White House was seriously contemplating shipping long-range missiles and Patriot anti-air batteries to Ukraine, the president of Russia called the US president who then touted the potential meeting in Hungary.

The following day, the president welcomed Zelensky at the White House, but left without agreements after a allegedly tense meeting.

The US leader insisted that he was not being manipulated by Putin.

"You know, I have been manipulated all my life by the best of them, and I came out successfully," he said.

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

"Once the matter of advanced weaponry became a little further away for Ukraine – for Ukraine – Russia quickly became less engaged in negotiations," he stated.

So, in a matter of days, the president has bounced from considering the idea of providing weapons to Ukraine to organizing a meeting in Hungary with Russia's leader and privately pressuring Zelensky to surrender the entire Donbas region – including territory Russian forces has been failed to capture.

He has finally settled on calling for a truce along present frontlines – something Russia has rejected.

On the campaign trail last year, Trump promised that he could resolve the Ukraine war in a very short time. He has subsequently abandoned that pledge, admitting that concluding the hostilities is turning out more difficult than he expected.

It has been a uncommon admission of the constraints of his power – and the difficulty of finding a framework for peace when both parties wants, or is able to, give up the fight.