On October 18, 2025, Russian investment envoy proposed on Friday (October 17) that Russia and the United States jointly construct an underwater railway tunnel connecting the Russian Far East and Alaska through the Bering Strait, and would name it the “Putin-Trump Tunnel.” President Trump responded by calling the proposal “interesting” and mentioned considering it, sparking international attention and scrutiny.
According to Reuters, Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and investment envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, posted on the social media platform X that the project would link Russia’s Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and U.S. Alaska, spanning 70 miles (approximately 112 kilometers) with an expected completion time of 8 years.
Dmitriev mentioned that the tunnel could be built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company. While traditional construction cost estimates are around $65 billion, the Boring Company and its technology could potentially reduce costs to $8 billion. Some of the project funding will come from Moscow and “international partners.”
“This will be a symbolic 70-mile connection representing unity. Let’s build the future together!” wrote Dmitriev in his post.
The Bering Strait, which separates Russian and American territories, is only 8.2 kilometers at its narrowest point. Dmitriev stated on the social platform X, “The dream of linking the east and west through the Bering Strait between the United States and Russia reflects an enduring vision from the 1904 Siberia-Alaska railway to Russia’s 2007 plans. The RDIF has explored existing proposals like the ‘US-Canada-Russia-China’ railway and will support the most feasible one.”
Dmitriev also mentioned that the RDIF has invested in and built the first Russia-China railway bridge (Sino-Russian Tongjiang River Railway Bridge) and it’s time to connect Russian and American territories. He claimed that the Russia-US tunnel would utilize the Boring Company’s “Zero-People-in-Tunnel” technology.
When asked about the Bering Strait tunnel project plan on Friday, President Trump responded, “That’s an interesting proposal. We must consider it. I haven’t heard about this yet.”
Elon Musk himself did not respond to requests for comments on the proposal.
Dmitriev’s proposal came after a call between Trump and Putin on Thursday (October 16). During the call, they discussed potential resolutions to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Trump revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior advisers would meet with a Russian delegation next week, followed by a future meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest, Hungary.
Building an underwater tunnel in the Bering Strait would face significant challenges. The project would require Musk’s Boring Company to work in below-zero temperatures with no existing infrastructure, and the region experiences frequent deep-sea earthquakes.
The Boring Company has no record of working under such conditions. Its previous tunnel projects were completed in hot, dry locations with ample nearby infrastructure and service areas.
According to ProPublica, citing public records reports, the Boring Company was recently cited and fined by the Nevada environmental regulatory agency for an “unusually high number of violations.” These violations included unauthorized excavations, discharging untreated water into city streets, and spillage of waste from trucks.
The Boring Company is currently undertaking a 10-mile tunnel project from downtown Nashville, Tennessee to its airport, known as the Music City Loop. However, local residents have protested, claiming the flood-prone city did not undergo adequate planning before authorizing the Boring Company project.
It’s worth noting that Musk’s Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, has supply chain connections with Russia, as the CEO has had talks with Putin on other matters in recent years.
According to CNBC’s previous reports, Musk’s electric vehicle maker purchased millions of euros worth of aluminum from Russian company Rusal, founded by sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
In October 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk held a secret meeting with Putin in 2022. The report cited two sources familiar with the situation stating that Putin pressured Musk in one meeting to not provide satellite internet communication service Starlink to Taiwan through his SpaceX company, as a favor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, since Beijing is a key ally of the Kremlin.