Reports of an impending US-Russia leadership summit have been greatly exaggerated, it seems.
Just days after Donald Trump said he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest - within two weeks or so - the summit has been suspended indefinitely.
A preliminary get-together by the two nations' top diplomats has been cancelled, too.
I don't want to have a wasted meeting, President Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. I don't want to have a waste of time, so I'll see what happens.
The on-again, off-again summit is just the latest twist in Trump's efforts to broker an end to war in Ukraine – a subject of renewed focus for the US president after he arranged a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.
While making remarks in Egypt last week to celebrate that ceasefire agreement, Trump turned to Steve Witkoff, his lead diplomatic negotiator, with a new request.
We have to get Russia done, he said.
However, the circumstances that aligned to make a Gaza breakthrough possible for Witkoff and his team may be difficult to replicate in a Ukraine war that has been raging for nearing four years.
According to Witkoff, the key to unlocking a deal was Israel'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 Benjamin Netanyahu into making a deal.
Trump benefited from a long record of siding with Israel dating back to his first term in office, including his decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, to change America's position on the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and, more recently, his support for Israel's military campaign against Iran.
In contrast, Trump has much less leverage in Ukraine. Over the past nine months, he has swung between attempts to strong-arm Putin and then Zelensky, all with little effect.
Trump's sudden shifts—from proposing to send weapons to Ukraine to planning a summit with Putin—highlight the complex dynamics at play. He has recognized that diplomatic engagement requires more than mere meetings, especially when neither side is willing to compromise.
Ultimately, Trump's aspirations to resolve conflicts may be constrained by the geopolitical realities of the regions involved, with his influence appearing stronger in Gaza than in the ongoing Ukraine crisis.
