What Would Have Happened If the Green Berets Helped Ukraine?

A 2024 proposal argued for sending U.S. Green Berets to Ukraine to train and assist its armed forces as a form of controlled escalation. Reflecting from a future perspective in 2026, the author asserts that the political will for such a move has since disappeared in the United States. There was a critical window between mid-2023 and mid-2024, when Russia was under significant pressure, where deploying these special forces could have reset the political landscape. While this action would not have won the war, it could have strengthened the negotiating position by applying more direct pressure on the Kremlin.