Putin is reportedly using a symbolic mega-project to sway Trump against arming Ukraine with long-range missiles.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly trying to win favour with former U.S. President Donald Trump through a £6 billion proposal to construct a tunnel linking Russia and America across the Bering Strait. The plan, dubbed the “Putin-Trump Tunnel,” was presented by Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and a close associate of Putin’s daughter, Katerina Tikhonova.
The proposal comes amid fears in Moscow that Trump may authorise the supply of “game-changing” Tomahawk long-range missiles to Ukraine. Dmitriev claimed Elon Musk’s The Boring Company could assist in excavating the 70-mile passage. “Imagine connecting the US and Russia…with a Putin-Trump tunnel, a 70-mile route symbolizing unity,” he said.
The tunnel would span the 51-mile gap between Alaska’s Cape Prince of Wales and Russia’s Cape Dezhnev. Dmitriev argued it could be built for “less than 8 billion dollars” and reshape global trade. Previous Bering crossing concepts date back to Tsar Nicholas II and the Cold War era.