Russian investment ambassador Kirill Dmitriev has proposed building a $8 billion Putin-Trump tunnel between Russia and the US as a “symbol of unity.”
Russia proposes Putin-Trump tunnel
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special envoy of President Vladimir Putin, has proposed building a railway tunnel under the Bering Strait that would connect Russia and the US.
The project, which Dmitriev has dubbed the “Putin-Trump tunnel,” is expected to cost around $8 billion and become a “symbol of unity between the two countries” after years of geopolitical tension.
An idea from the past — in a new political context
The initiative appeared the day after a phone call between Putin and Donald Trump, during which the leaders agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.
During a press conference in Washington with Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump called the idea “interesting,” jokingly asking the Ukrainian president for his opinion. “I don’t like this idea,” Zelensky replied, causing laughter among American journalists.
Elon Musk’s “The Boring Company” is a potential contractor
Dmitriev suggested that The Boring Company, Elon Musk’s company specializing in innovative drilling, build the tunnel.
“Imagine — a Putin-Trump tunnel connecting America with Eurasia. 70 miles of unity that will cost less than $8 billion thanks to @boringcompany technologies,” Dmitriev wrote in X, addressing Musk.
Musk has not yet publicly responded to the proposal.
Tunnel through the narrowest point of the strait
The Bering Strait, only 82 km wide at its narrowest point, is separated by two islands — Little and Big Diomede, which belong to the United States and Russia, respectively.
Dmitriev noted that the idea of connecting the continents has existed for more than 150 years — from the 1904 Siberia-Alaska plan to Soviet projects during the Khrushchev era.
The Russian Federation, he said, has already studied previous projects, including the concept of a railway between the United States, Canada, Russia and China, and is ready to invest in the “most realistic version.”
Historical parallels and geopolitical implications
Dmitriev recalled that during the Cold War, the idea of a “Kennedy-Khrushchev Peace Bridge” across the strait was being developed. Now, he said, “it’s time to realize the dream of connecting continents.”
“We have already built the first bridge between Russia and China. Now it’s time to connect Russia and the United States,” he said.
Analysts: Project is more of a political gesture
Despite the symbolism, experts say the cost of building infrastructure on both sides of the strait could exceed $100 billion, as there are almost no roads or railways in Russian Chukotka.
Some Western observers believe that Dmitriev’s idea is an attempt at “soft diplomacy” by Moscow as it seeks a new format for relations with Washington.
Related: Trump commented on Moscow’s idea of an underground tunnel between the US and Russia
