Russian envoy floats 'Putin-Trump tunnel' connecting US and Russia
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Russia's RDIF proposes an $8B Bering Strait tunnel project, dubbed the "Putin-Trump tunnel", to connect Russia and the US and revive bilateral ties.
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US President Donald Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Putin, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska (AP)
A Kremlin envoy has suggested that Russia and the United States should build a "Putin-Trump" rail tunnel under the Bering Strait because this tunnel would link their countries and unlock joint exploration of natural resources, while acting as a symbol of unity.
Kirill Dmitriev, an investment envoy for President Vladimir Putin and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) sovereign wealth fund, has proposed an $8 billion construction project that would be funded by Moscow and international partners and would build a 70-mile rail and cargo link in under eight years.
Dmitriev, who has been helping lead a Russian charm offensive to revive US-Russia ties, proposed this idea late on Thursday after Putin and Trump spoke over the phone and agreed to meet in Budapest to try to find a way to stop the war in Ukraine.
.@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
"The dream of a US–Russia link via the Bering Strait reflects an enduring vision — from the 1904 Siberia–Alaska railway to Russia’s 2007 plan. RDIF has studied existing proposals, including the US–Canada–Russia–China railroad, and will support the most viable," the Russian Envoy wrote on X.
Elon Musk's Boring Company possible option
Dmitriev, who has developed a relationship with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for Trump, and previously suggested that US energy companies could join Russian projects in the Arctic, proposed that the tunnel should be built by The Boring Company, a US tunnel construction firm owned by billionaire Elon Musk, who used to be an ally of Trump.
"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," Dimitriev stated on X.
Dmitriev said that a plan for a "Kennedy-Khrushchev World Peace Bridge" over the strait had been proposed during the Cold War, and he posted a sketch from that time showing the route it might have taken, along with a graphic showing the route the new tunnel could take.
"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," Dmitriev added.
Trump, Putin achieve 'great progress' in phone call
Yesterday, US President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to hold a summit in Budapest to advance talks to end the war in Ukraine after what he described as a "very productive" phone conversation on October 16.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said his two-hour phone call with Putin resulted in great progress and added that both leaders discussed prospects for peace and for post-war relations.
“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote, noting that the talks would be followed by lower-level meetings between Washington and Moscow next week. Moreover, Trump confirmed that he and Putin plan to meet in Budapest “to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war between Russia and Ukraine to an end.”
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said the conversation happened on Russia's initiative and that both sides highlighted the deep mutual sympathies of the people in both countries while also referencing their cooperation during World War II.
He confirmed that representatives from both countries would "immediately begin preparations for the summit," which could be held in Budapest, and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to have a phone conversation "in the coming days" as part of that preparatory work.
