Kremlin Envoy Proposes “Putin–Trump Tunnel” Linking Russia and the United States

World 11:41 AM - 2025-10-18

Map showing the Bering Strait separating Russia's far east from the U.S. state of Alaska.

A senior Kremlin official has proposed constructing a “Putin–Trump Tunnel” beneath the Bering Strait to connect Russia and the United States — a project he claims would symbolise unity and open new opportunities for joint resource exploration.

Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), unveiled the proposal on Thursday, estimating the project would cost around $8 billion and could be completed within eight years with funding from Moscow and “international partners.”

The plan envisions a 70-mile (112-kilometre) rail and cargo tunnel linking Russia’s Chukotka region with Alaska — reviving a long-held idea to physically connect the two continents.

Dmitriev’s remarks came shortly after a phone conversation between Presidents Putin and Donald Trump, in which the two leaders agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

When asked about the tunnel during a meeting in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, President Trump described the idea as “interesting” and turned to President Zelenskyy for his opinion. “I’m not happy with this idea,” President Zelenskyy replied, prompting laughter from the American delegation.

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In a post on X, Dmitriev said the project reflected “an enduring vision” dating back to the early 20th century. “The dream of a US–Russia link via the Bering Strait reflects an enduring vision — from the 1904 Siberia–Alaska railway to Russia’s 2007 plan. RDIF has studied existing proposals, including the US–Canada–Russia–China railroad, and will support the most viable,” he wrote.

The Bering Strait, at its narrowest point only 51 miles (82 kilometres) wide, separates Alaska from Russia’s remote Chukotka region. The Diomede Islands — one American and one Russian — sit just 2.4 miles (4 kilometres) apart in the middle of the strait.

Dmitriev suggested that Elon Musk’s Boring Company could be the prime contractor for the ambitious project and that U.S. energy companies might partner with Russian ventures in the Arctic.

“Imagine connecting the US and Russia, the Americas and Afro-Eurasia, with the Putin–Trump Tunnel — a 70-mile link symbolising unity. Traditional costs are over $65 billion, but @boringcompany’s technology could reduce it to less than $8 billion. Let’s build a future together,” Dmitriev wrote, addressing Musk directly on X.

Musk has not publicly responded to the proposal.

Experts note that beyond the tunnel itself, the required infrastructure on both sides of the strait — particularly in Russia’s sparsely populated Chukotka region — would demand substantial investment in new roads and rail lines.

Dmitriev drew a historical parallel with the Cold War-era proposal for a “Kennedy–Khrushchev World Peace Bridge” across the Bering Strait, sharing an image of a vintage sketch outlining its route alongside a new map of his proposed tunnel.

“RDIF has already invested in and built the first-ever Russia–China railway bridge,” Dmitriev said. “The time has come to do more — to connect the continents for the first time in human history. The time has come to connect Russia and the United States.”

Source: Reuters



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