A Kremlin envoy has proposed a “Putin-Trump” rail tunnel between eastern Russia and the US state of Alaska to “symbolise unity”, even suggesting that it could be built by billionaire Elon Musk.
Kirill Dmitriev, Moscow’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation and a key negotiator in Ukraine peace talks, suggested the project could be completed within eight years by Musk’s Boring Company, at a cost of $8bn (£6bn). This could be funded by Moscow and “international partners”, he added.
He envisaged the 70-mile rail and cargo link beneath the Bering Strait could unlock joint exploration of natural resources.
“Elon Musk, imagine connecting the US and Russia, the Americas and Afro-Eurasia, with the Putin-Trump Tunnel - a 70-mile link symbolising unity,” he wrote in a series of posts on X on Thursday.
“Traditional costs are [over] $65bn, but the Boring Company's tech could reduce it to [under] $8bn. Let's build a future together!”
He added: “This mega-project will connect continents and make the Boring Company the most exciting infrastructure innovator ever!”
.@elonmusk, imagine connecting the US and Russia, the Americas and the Afro-Eurasia with the Putin-Trump Tunnel - a 70-mile link symbolizing unity. Traditional costs are $65B+, but @boringcompany's tech could reduce it to <$8B. Let's build a future together! 🇺🇸🤝🇷🇺🧵 👇 https://t.co/boCVb8xqjl pic.twitter.com/QXmTYAduqm
— Kirill Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) October 16, 2025
Musk does not appear to have responded to the proposal.
Dmitriev floated the tunnel idea shortly after Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke to Mr Trump on the phone and agreed to meet in Hungary in the coming weeks to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
The Bering Strait, which is 51 miles wide at its narrowest point, separates Russia’s Chukotka region from Alaska. The idea to link the two countries is nothing new – it dates back at least 150 years, with various projects drawn up but never implemented. Dmitriev’s suggestion came in response to recently released US congressional documents on the late president John F Kennedy, which revealed a proposal for a “World Peace Bridge” between Alaska and Siberia.
A man of many hats, Mr Dmitriev is the head of Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund and Mr Putin’s emissary of choice to court better relations with the US.
He shared a graphic of his proposed “Kennedy-Khrushchev World Peace Bridge” showing the route the new tunnel could take between Chukotka and Alaska, but he did not specify whether he had discussed his idea with Russian or American officials or explain how sanctions might affect the project.
“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. The time has come to connect Russia and the US,” he said.
Mr Trump has not commented on the proposal.
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