A Russian representative for foreign investment has urged Elon Musk and his tunneling company, The Boring Company, to construct a "Putin-Trump" tunnel beneath the Bering Strait, linking Alaska and Russia.
The idea surfaced alongside diplomatic conversations between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump regarding possible steps toward ending the conflict in Ukraine, according to CNBC.
Putin-Trump Tunnel?
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, publicly proposed the project on Musk's platform, X, touting it as a "symbol of unity" stretching roughly 70 miles.
Dmitriev estimated traditional construction would run about $65 billion, but suggested Musk's tunneling methods could slash costs to $8 billion and complete it within eight years.
"Let's build a future together," Dmitriev wrote.
The proposal came shortly after a call between Presidents Trump and Putin, who agreed to continued dialogue on Ukraine.
Trump announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior U.S. officials would soon meet with Russian counterparts before a planned Trump-Putin meeting in Budapest.
Although Musk has previously held private talks with Putin, he has not yet responded to inquiries about this new idea.
Building such an undersea passage would present massive engineering, environmental, and geopolitical challenges. The region is prone to earthquakes, harsh cold, and lacks basic infrastructure—conditions in which The Boring Company has never before worked.
Musk’s Ties To Russia
Musk's other ventures also intersect with Russia. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has bought aluminum from Rusal, a firm linked to sanctioned oligarch Oleg Deripaska, and Musk has spoken with Putin several times since 2022 about business and geopolitical matters.
During those exchanges, Putin allegedly pressured Musk to restrict SpaceX's Starlink service to favor Chinese requests—a move consistent with Moscow's alliance with Beijing.
Through SpaceX, Musk has also cooperated with NASA to send Russian astronauts to the International Space Station, underscoring the complex ties between U.S. private industry, Russian state interests and high-level diplomacy.
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