Russia and the United States face a potentially dramatic challenge: building an underwater tunnel under the Bering Strait, connecting the two continents. This ambitious idea, launched by the Kremlin's special envoy and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, aims to open new opportunities for joint resource development and, as claimed, to "symbolize unity" between the two countries. The proposal comes at a key moment, after a phone call between the leaders of Russia and the United States, following which a planned meeting between them in Budapest was announced to discuss ways to end the conflict in Ukraine.
According to Dmitriev, who is an investment advisor to the President of Russia, this project would cost approximately $8 billion and will be financed by both Moscow and international partners. The construction of a railway and freight link with a length of 70 miles (112 km) is planned within less than eight years. An ambitious plan that raises many questions.
The idea of connecting the two continents is far from new. Dmitriev emphasizes the long-standing dream of such a connection, recalling similar projects from the past, including the Siberian-Alaska railway project from 1904 and Russian plans from 2007. "The Russian Direct Investment Fund has explored existing options, including the international line USA-Canada-Russia-China, and will support the most viable one," he wrote on the X platform.
The Bering Strait, only 82 km wide at its narrowest point, separates Chukotka from American Alaska. For more than 150 years, such ideas for a land connection between the two continents have been the subject of discussion, but none of them have been realized.
Dmitriev's bold proposal includes attracting the American tunnel construction company The Boring Company, owned by Elon Musk. "Imagine connecting the USA and Russia – America and Afro-Eurasia – with the 'Putin-Trump' tunnel: a 70-mile connection, a symbol of unity. Traditional costs are over $65 billion, but @boringcompany's technology can reduce them to under $8 billion. Let's build the future together," Dmitriev wrote on the X platform, directly challenging Musk.
For the moment, neither Elon Musk nor the former US President have made official comments regarding the proposed initiative.
Dmitriev recalled a similar initiative from the Cold War era – the "Kennedy-Khrushchev Bridge of World Peace" project. He published an archival sketch of the route, as well as a new graphic showing how the tunnel would connect Chukotka and Alaska.
In the context of current geopolitical relations, this project can be seen as an ambitious step, which, if implemented, could have a significant impact on relations between the two countries. "RDIF has already invested and built the first railway bridge between Russia and China. Now it's time to do more – to connect the continents for the first time in history. It's time to connect Russia and the USA," Dmitriev said. It remains to be seen whether these plans will become a reality.