A Kremlin envoy has proposed building an ambitious undersea tunnel connecting Russia and the United States, suggesting it could involve billionaire Elon Musk’s The Boring Company.Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Kremlin investment envoy, described the 112-kilometre (70-mile) project as a “railroad and cargo link” between Siberia and Alaska that could “unlock joint resource exploration” between the two countries.
Trump calls idea ‘interesting’
US President Donald Trump, speaking during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described the proposal as “interesting.” He even sought Zelenskyy’s opinion, to which the Ukrainian leader reportedly responded that he was “not happy with this idea.”The discussion comes amid Trump’s renewed push for energy development, including his campaign promise to “drill, baby drill” during his second term.
Arctic energy projects in play
Dmitriev has also floated the idea of trilateral US-Russia-China hydrocarbon projects in the Arctic, referencing expanded oil drilling in the region. “Certainly, Russia is eyeing the opportunity of joint Russia-China-US projects, including in the Arctic region, specifically in the energy sector,” he said last month, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.Arctic nations are reportedly planning to expand mining and drilling operations as polar ice recedes due to climate change, making the region more accessible.
Musk and social media outreach
Dmitriev tagged Musk on X, urging the billionaire entrepreneur to join the project. “Let’s build a future together,” Dmitriev wrote, calling the tunnel a symbol of “unity” and dubbing it the “Putin-Trump Tunnel.”As of Friday evening, Musk had not publicly responded to the proposal.
Talks set ahead of Hungary meeting
The tunnel proposal coincides with a two-hour call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night, ahead of a planned meeting in Budapest, Hungary, which Trump confirmed is expected within the next two weeks. The Kremlin has also confirmed the meeting.
