Russia has proposed a plan for a rail tunnel connecting the country to the US, dubbed the “Putin-Trump” tunnel, with the potential involvement of Elon Musk. The tunnel, spanning 70 miles under the Bering Strait, aims to facilitate joint exploration of natural resources between the two nations. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s investment envoy, and CEO of Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund, disclosed that the project, estimated at $8 billion, would be financed by Moscow and international partners. The proposal envisions leveraging The Boring Company, owned by Elon Musk, to construct the tunnel within eight years.
Dmitriev highlighted that the typical cost of such a tunnel would exceed $65 billion, but the technology offered by Musk’s company could significantly reduce expenses to $8 billion. The idea for the tunnel emerged following a phone call between Putin and Donald Trump, leading to an agreement to meet in Budapest for discussions on peace efforts in Ukraine.
“The concept of a US-Russia link through the Bering Strait has a longstanding history, from the 1904 Siberia-Alaska railway to recent plans in 2007. RDIF has evaluated various proposals, including the US-Canada-Russia-China railroad, and aims to back the most feasible option,” Dmitriev conveyed.
The Bering Strait, spanning 51 miles at its narrowest point, separates Russia’s Chukotka region from Alaska. Discussions on bridging the two points have persisted for over a century, with multiple proposals but no concrete actions taken. Dmitriev urged Musk to envision the connectivity between the two nations through the “Putin-Trump Tunnel,” symbolizing unity over a 70-mile stretch.
He also referenced a historical suggestion from the Cold War era, proposing a ‘Kennedy-Khrushchev World Peace Bridge,’ and shared a potential route sketch between Chukotka and Alaska.
“RDIF has already made investments in establishing the first-ever Russia-China railroad bridge. The time has come to elevate these efforts and unite continents for the first time in history by connecting Russia and the US,” Dmitriev emphasized. As of now, there has been no response from Musk regarding the proposal.
