Russia has proposed a plan to construct a rail tunnel known as the “Putin-Trump” tunnel with the involvement of Elon Musk. This tunnel is intended to connect Russia and the US, symbolizing unity. The tunnel, stretching 70 miles under the Bering Strait, is envisioned to facilitate joint exploration of natural resources, as suggested by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who is also the CEO of Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund. The anticipated cost of the project is $8 billion, to be funded by Moscow and international partners. The proposal entails leveraging The Boring Company, a tunnel construction firm owned by Elon Musk, to complete the project within eight years.
The usual cost of such a tunnel is estimated to be over $65 billion, but Dmitriev indicated that utilizing technology from Musk’s company could drastically reduce the cost to $8 billion. The idea of the tunnel was introduced following a phone call between Putin and Donald Trump, with the Russian President agreeing to meet in Budapest to discuss peace efforts in Ukraine.
Dmitriev highlighted the historical significance of connecting the US and Russia through the Bering Strait, referencing past proposals such as the 1904 Siberia-Alaska railway and Russia’s 2007 plan. He expressed RDIF’s support for exploring various proposals, including the US-Canada-Russia-China railroad, to determine the most feasible option.
The Bering Strait, separating Russia’s Chukotka region from Alaska, spans 51 miles at its narrowest point. Over the years, there have been discussions about linking these two points, with multiple projects suggested but never materialized. Dmitriev emphasized the symbolic unity that the Putin-Trump Tunnel could represent, envisioning a 70-mile link between the US and Russia.
He also recalled a historical proposal during the Cold War for a ‘Kennedy-Khrushchev World Peace Bridge’ and shared a potential route sketch for connecting Chukotka and Alaska. Dmitriev underlined RDIF’s previous investments in the Russia-China railroad bridge and advocated for a groundbreaking connection between Russia and the US, emphasizing the importance of uniting continents for the first time in history. As of now, Elon Musk has not provided any public comments on the proposal.