Kremlin envoy proposes ‘Putin–Trump Tunnel’ to link Russia and U.S. via Bering Strait

A senior Kremlin envoy has proposed building an undersea “Putin–Trump Tunnel” connecting Russia’s Chukotka region with Alaska — a symbolic megaproject he says could unite the two nations and open new avenues for trade and resource exploration.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), floated the idea on Thursday evening following a phone call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

Dmitriev’s proposal envisions a 70-mile (112-kilometer) rail and cargo tunnel beneath the Bering Strait, to be completed in under eight years at an estimated cost of $8 billion, funded by Moscow and “international partners.”

“The dream of a U.S.–Russia link via the Bering Strait reflects an enduring vision — from the 1904 Siberia–Alaska railway to Russia’s 2007 plan,” Dmitriev wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “RDIF has studied existing proposals, including the U.S.–Canada–Russia–China railroad, and will support the most viable.”

He suggested the tunnel could be built by The Boring Company, the U.S.-based tunneling firm owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. “Imagine connecting the U.S. and Russia, the Americas and the Afro-Eurasia with the Putin–Trump Tunnel — a 70-mile link symbolizing unity,” Dmitriev wrote in a public message to Musk. “Traditional costs are $65B+, but @boringcompany’s tech could reduce it to <$8B. Let’s build a future together.”

Neither Musk nor Trump has yet responded publicly to the proposal.

The Bering Strait, separating Russia’s far eastern Chukotka region from Alaska by just 51 miles (82 km) at its narrowest point, has long inspired grand engineering visions. Similar ideas have circulated since the 19th century, including Soviet-era plans and a 2007 Russian initiative, but none have progressed beyond preliminary studies.

Dmitriev, who has played a key role in efforts to improve relations between Moscow and Washington, said RDIF’s successful role in financing the first Russia–China rail bridge demonstrates the potential for larger-scale connectivity projects.

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

He also cited a Cold War-era concept known as the “Kennedy–Khrushchev World Peace Bridge,” publishing an archival sketch of its proposed route alongside a graphic of the envisioned Putin–Trump Tunnel path.

While analysts view the idea as politically symbolic and logistically daunting, Dmitriev framed it as a vision for a new era of U.S.–Russia cooperation. “The time has come to connect Russia and the U.S.,” he declared.

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