Kremlin-Linked Figure Proposes Russia-U.S. Tunnel, Reviving Decades-old Idea
October 16, 2025 - A proposal for a tunnel connecting Russia and the United States, utilizing technology from Elon Musk’s Boring Company, was recently floated by Kirill Dmitriev, a figure with close ties to the Kremlin. Dmitriev, tweeting on October 16, 2025, suggested the tunnel could be built for under $8 billion, referencing released documents from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library detailing a similar proposal from the early 1960s. the original concept, a “Kennedy-Khrushchev World Peace Bridge,” envisioned a connection across the Bering Strait.
The idea of a physical link between Alaska and Siberia dates back even further. A March 3, 1959, “Closer Than We Think” comic strip by Arthur Radebaugh detailed a proposal by Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington for a bridge or vehicular tunnel spanning the 30- to 40-mile stretch of the Bering Strait. Magnuson envisioned the route running from Wales, Alaska, to Little Diomede and Big Diomede Islands, and then to Peyak, Siberia, creating a rail and highway link between points as distant as New York and Paris. He predicted the project could be completed within a generation, believing the resulting tourism would foster positive relations.
Dmitriev’s proposal arrives amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine and shifting rhetoric from former U.S. President Donald Trump. On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social describing a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “very interesting, and cordial,” and called for an end to the fighting, suggesting both sides “claim Victory, let History decide!” He stated, “Enough blood has been shed…This is a War that would have never started if I were President.”
While the feasibility and intent behind Dmitriev’s proposal remain unclear, the historical interest in a Russia-U.S. connection underscores a long-held ambition for increased connectivity between the two nations. The current geopolitical climate, however, casts a shadow over any potential for such a project.
