Russia proposes Putin-Trump rail tunnel under Bering Strait for $8B

The Kremlin has suggested that Russia and the United States build a “Putin-Trump” railway tunnel under the Bering Strait to connect the two countries, according to a proposal from one of President Vladimir Putin’s top investment officials.

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s investment envoy and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), presented the idea on Thursday, Reuters reported.

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Graphic of the proposed project, after a Kremlin envoy suggested the United States should build a “Putin-Trump” rail tunnel under the Bering Strait to connect the two countries, unlock joint exploration of natural resources and “symbolize unity,” in this illustrative image obtained from social media. (Reuters)

The plan calls for a 70-mile rail and cargo tunnel to be built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company within eight years at a projected cost of $8 billion. The project, Dmitriev said, would be financed by Moscow and “international partners.”

“The dream of a connection between the United States and Russia via the Bering Strait reflects an enduring vision – from the Siberia-Alaska Railway of 1904 to the Russian plan of 2007,” Dmitriev wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The RDIF has studied existing proposals, including the United States-Canada-Russia-China railway, and will support the most viable.”

The proposal came after former President Donald Trump reportedly spoke on the phone with Putin and agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.

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President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The Kremlin has proposed building a tunnel to connect the country to the United States. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Associated Press)

The Bering Strait separates Russia from Alaska. The small Diomede Islands – one controlled by Russia and the other by the United States – lie in the middle of the strait and are separated by 2.4 miles, Reuters reported.

Dmitriev suggested The Boring Company as a builder, citing its tunneling technology as a way to significantly reduce costs.

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“Imagine connecting the United States and Russia – the Americas and Afro-Eurasia – with the Putin-Trump Tunnel, a 70-mile link symbolizing unity,” Dmitriev wrote in a message to Musk. “Traditional costs are more than $65 billion, but @boringcompany’s technology could reduce them to less than $8 billion. Let’s build a future together.”

Fox News Digital has contacted the White House for comment.