A surprise proposal from Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and personal envoy to Vladimir Putin, is bringing back to the fore an ambitious and controversial idea: the construction of a 70-mile (112 km) undersea tunnel connecting Alaska to Eastern Siberia via the Bering Strait.
The “Putin-Trump tunnel,” as Russian media have already dubbed it, is being proposed as a “symbol of unity” between Russia and the United States.
The proposal comes just hours after a phone call on October 16 between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump—the first official one since their summit in Alaska in August—and ahead of their meeting in Budapest in the coming weeks.
Vision or geopolitical tool?
Dmitriev, a Harvard graduate who played a key role in informal Russian-US negotiations through Saudi Arabia, presented the project as an economic and symbolic bridge between the two continents, stressing that with Elon Musk’s Boring Company technology, the cost could be reduced from $65 billion to less than $8 billion.
Although there has been no official statement from the Boring Company, the idea is already generating intense international interest.
Dmitriev also argued that US companies have lost over $340 billion since their withdrawal from the Russian market and that this project could be a starting point for their economic comeback, replacing European companies that have withdrawn.
The proposal, however, is more than just an economic plan: it functions as a strategic signal of rapprochement and diplomatic dialogue, at a time when the war in Ukraine is reaching a critical point and Russia’s rhetoric is being repositioned on a more pragmatic footing.
Reality or utopia?
Despite its impressive vision, this project is full of challenges:
- Zero infrastructure in the Bering Strait region — no access, no roads or railways.
- Extreme climatic conditions with temperatures reaching –50°C and high seismic activity.
- The proposed tunnel would be twice as long as the English Channel (31.5 miles), and would cost many times as much with no clear return on investment.
Even if the cost were reduced, the technical implementation remains distant and extremely complex. Furthermore, the current geopolitical situation and sanctions make it unlikely that there would be American political support.
A New Era with Russia at the Center
The proposal for the “Putin-Trump Tunnel” is not an isolated move. It is the latest chapter in a series of initiatives by Moscow that is trying to export a narrative of reconnection and gradual normalization of relations with the West.
The choice of Trump as an interlocutor is not accidental. The US president is the only Western leader that Russia considers open to such approaches.
At the same time, the project functions as a lever of pressure on Washington: an invitation to lift sanctions in the light of economic logic, while maintaining Putin as a potential architect of “global bridges”.
What Moscow is trying to project is a “new era of cooperation”, if — and only if — the West accepts a new, post-war status quo with Russia at the center.
Geopolitical Dream
Although the construction of a Russia-US undersea tunnel is unlikely in the immediate future, the proposal carries significant weight as a geopolitical gesture and negotiating tool.
It signals Russia’s intention to re-enter the game through positive initiatives, not just threats. At the same time, it “tests the waters” of the US in anticipation of a possible change in Washington’s political leadership.
The “Putin-Trump tunnel” may never be built. But its very symbolism — as a bridge between two continents and two worlds — may be a prelude to a new diplomatic reality.
Or, as the Russian official suggests: “Geopolitics often starts with the dream of an undersea tunnel.”
