Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of Russia's RDIF investment fund, has proposed an ambitious plan to construct a tunnel beneath the Bering Strait, connecting Alaska with Russia's Chukotka region.
The proposed tunnel, which Dmitriev suggests could bear the names of Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, would be a significant engineering feat and a symbol of cooperation between the two nations.
According to Breitbart, Dmitriev's proposal is based on documents from the Soviet Union era of the 1960s, which were presented to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) by Alexander Darchiyev, Russia's ambassador to the United States. Among these documents, one detailed a plan for a "Kennedy-Khrushchev World Peace Bridge" that "could and should be built between Alaska and Russia at once."
The proposed bridge would have connected Little Diomede Island, an Alaskan territory, with Big Diomede Island in Russia, separated by less than two and a half miles at the narrowest point in the Bering Strait.
Dmitriev, in a recent social media post, expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, "With modern Boring Company technology, this can become a Putin-Trump tunnel connecting the Eurasia and Americas for less than $8 billion!" The Boring Company, a venture of billionaire Elon Musk, specializes in tunnel construction and is currently working on a project in Nashville, Tennessee.
The proposed Bering Strait tunnel, as Dmitriev noted, would be approximately 70 miles long. He suggested that the Boring Company's technology could significantly reduce the traditional costs of such a project, from over $65 billion to less than $8 billion. He further proposed that his RDIF and Russia's Arctic Fund, along with international partners, could provide the necessary financing.
Dmitriev, who has been instrumental in building the first-ever Russia-China railroad bridge, believes that the time is ripe for such an ambitious project. He said, "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 U.S." He also emphasized the potential economic benefits, stating that the project would "create jobs" and "boost economies."
However, the proposal has been met with skepticism. Critics argue that the proposed tunnel would essentially connect two remote areas with no existing road or rail infrastructure within hundreds of miles. The region is also known for its seismic activity, which could pose significant challenges to construction and operation.
Dmitriev's role in promoting Russia's interests in the United States has led some to view his enthusiasm for the Bering Sea tunnel with caution. His primary objective is to foster economic ties between Russia and the United States, potentially weakening Western resolve to penalize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
As of Friday morning, neither Donald Trump nor Elon Musk had responded to Dmitriev's tunnel proposal. The ambitious project, if realized, could mark a significant milestone in the history of infrastructure development and international cooperation. However, the feasibility and practicality of such a venture remain to be seen.
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