Russia has proposed a plan to construct a rail tunnel named the “Putin-Trump” tunnel, facilitated by entrepreneur Elon Musk, to connect Russia and the US as a symbol of unity. The tunnel, spanning 70 miles under the Bering Strait, aims to enable collaborative exploration of natural resources, with an estimated project cost of $8 billion. The initiative, suggested by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s investment envoy and CEO of Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund, would involve funding from Moscow and international partners. The proposal involves engaging The Boring Company, owned by Elon Musk, to complete the construction within eight years.
Dmitriev indicated that the tunnel’s cost, typically exceeding $65 billion, could be significantly reduced to $8 billion through the innovative technology offered by Musk’s company. The concept was introduced following a phone conversation between Putin and Donald Trump, leading to an agreement for a meeting in Budapest to discuss peace initiatives in Ukraine.
“The concept of a US-Russia link via the Bering Strait has historical roots, from the 1904 Siberia-Alaska railway to Russia’s 2007 proposal. RDIF has reviewed various plans, including the US-Canada-Russia-China railway, and will endorse the most feasible option,” Dmitriev stated.
The Bering Strait, with a width of 51 miles at its narrowest point, separates Russia’s Chukotka region from Alaska. Numerous attempts spanning over 150 years have been made to connect these points, but no project has materialized. Dmitriev emphasized the symbolic unity represented by the proposed 70-mile Putin-Trump Tunnel, envisioning a connection between the US and Russia, and the Americas with Afro-Eurasia.
During the Cold War, a similar idea was proposed for a ‘Kennedy-Khrushchev World Peace Bridge,’ with Dmitriev sharing a conceptual route sketch between Chukotka and Alaska.
“RDIF has already invested in and completed the first-ever Russia-China railroad bridge. The time has come to further these efforts and unite the Continents for the first time in history. It is time to establish a connection between Russia and the US,” Dmitriev expressed, noting that Musk has yet to offer any comments on the proposal.