To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to an online
browser that
supports HTML5
video
A ‘peace bridge’ connecting Russia to America, price £6 billion. That is the Kremlin’s latest moonshot, pitched on to billionaire Elon Musk.
On the White House, Donald Trump appeared to listen to about it for the primary time – or no less than did a convincing impression of it.
‘A tunnel from Russia to Alaska. That’s…interesting,’ the US president said, when asked concerning the idea by reporters during his meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Asking Zelensky concerning the cross-border project, he said: ‘What do you think that of that, Mr President?… How do you want that concept?’
The Ukrainian leader – who has been combating Russia’s war for greater than three years – appeared lower than thrilled.
‘I’m not completely satisfied with this,’ he warned, eliciting fun from his host.
The proposal by Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy and head of Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund, would see a rail tunnel built under the Bering Strait that separates the Russian Far East from Alaska.
He suggested that linking the 2 nations would unlock joint exploration of natural resources and ‘symbolise unity’.
While plans for a bridge or a tunnel to cross the Bering Strait have been floated for a long time, they’ve not generated much serious consideration due to rocky relationship between the 2 superpowers.
In a post on X, the envoy claimed that the concept of a ‘peace bridge’ between Russia and Alaska dated back to the Cold War era.
Proposing that Musk is involved within the project together with his company, Dmitriev said: ‘With modern @boringcompany technology this could develop into a Putin-Trump tunnel.’
There was no immediate public response from the Tesla and X CEO.
Beyond the tunnel itself, it could cost an enormous sum to construct and upgrade infrastructure on either side of the strait. Chukotka’s existing roads and railways are sparse, at best.
As well as, Dmitriev suggested that the US could join Russia and China in joint ‘hydrocarbon projects within the Arctic,’ referring to expanded drilling for oil.
‘Actually, Russia is eyeing the chance of joint Russia-China-US projects, including within the Arctic region, specifically within the energy sector,’ he said last month, based on Russia’s TASS news agency.
This comes as Trump said ‘great progress’ was made during a phone call with Putin, with the 2 agreeing to face-to-face talks in Hungary.
It was their first call since mid-August, with the Republican describing it as ‘very productive’, adding that teams from the US and Russia will meet next week.
Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Trump meets Zelensky over Tomahawks which ‘could end war’ hours after phone call with Putin
MORE: Who’s the ‘Swan Lake Cooperative’ that’s threatening to topple Putin?
MORE: Donald Trump and Putin set to satisfy inside two weeks in Budapest