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Russia Proposes ‘Putin-Trump Tunnel’ to Link US and Russia via Bering Strait
Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev proposes an $8B “Putin-Trump Tunnel” under the Bering Strait — linking Russia and the US as a symbol of unity. Elon Musk’s Boring Company tipped as the builder.
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by Muhammad Hashir
2025-10-17
Russia Proposes ‘Putin-Trump Tunnel’ to Link US and Russia via Bering Strait

Russia Proposes $8B ‘Putin-Trump Tunnel’ to Connect US and Russia Through Bering Strait

MOSCOW — A top Kremlin official has proposed an ambitious plan to build a “Putin-Trump Tunnel” under the Bering Strait, linking Russia and the United States by rail in what he described as a “symbol of unity” and a step toward renewed cooperation between the two powers.

The proposal came from Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). He suggested that the 70-mile (112-kilometre) rail and cargo tunnel could be constructed in less than eight years at an estimated cost of $8 billion, jointly funded by Moscow and “international partners.”

Dmitriev unveiled the idea on Thursday evening, shortly after Putin’s phone call with former US President Donald Trump, in which both leaders agreed to meet in Budapest to explore a potential roadmap for ending the war in Ukraine.

“Imagine connecting the US and Russia — the Americas and Afro-Eurasia — with the Putin-Trump Tunnel: a 70-mile link symbolising unity,” Dmitriev wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Traditional costs are $65 billion or more, but @boringcompany’s technology could reduce it to under $8 billion. Let’s build a future together.”

The Boring Company, founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, was suggested as a possible contractor for the project. Dmitriev even tagged Musk in his post, saying the tunnel could use the firm’s innovative low-cost boring technology to dramatically cut expenses.

The concept of a Russia–Alaska rail connection is not new. Ideas for linking the two continents have existed for over 150 years, first proposed in 1904 as part of a Siberia–Alaska railway project. Similar initiatives resurfaced in 2007, but none materialized due to high costs and political tensions.

The Bering Strait, separating Russia’s Chukotka region and the US state of Alaska, is about 51 miles (82 km) wide at its narrowest point. In between lie the Diomede Islands, one Russian and one American, which are just 2.4 miles (4 km) apart — symbolically close but politically distant.

According to Dmitriev, the RDIF has already reviewed earlier concepts, including a proposed US–Canada–Russia–China rail corridor, and plans to support “the most viable version.”

He also highlighted ongoing ties with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, and floated the idea of US energy firms participating in Russian Arctic projects as part of a broader thaw in bilateral relations.

While analysts view the proposal as highly ambitious — and politically charged — Dmitriev insisted it reflects a “vision for global cooperation beyond conflicts.”

If ever realized, the so-called Putin-Trump Tunnel would be one of the most significant engineering projects in modern history, symbolically bridging the world’s two largest nuclear powers at a time of deep geopolitical division.
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