MOSCOW

Moscow and Washington have started discussions on the construction of a tunnel under the Bering Strait to connect the two countries, Russian Presidential Envoy for Economic Affairs Kirill Dmitriev claimed.

"Discussions on the tunnel begin," Dmitriev, who also serves as the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said Friday on the US social media platform, X.

US President Donald Trump said at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the White House on Friday that he finds "interesting" the project to build a tunnel under the Bering Strait, which would connect Russia and the US via railway transport.

Dmitriev said construction of a modern tunnel can take less than eight years, and the cost will amount to less than $8 billion, thanks to technologies from The Boring Company owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, which is significantly lower than traditional estimates of $65 billion.

Dmitriev named the project the "Putin-Trump Tunnel," and emphasized its potential for joint resource development, job creation and economic growth. He also pointed out that RDIF already has experience in building transboundary railway bridges, such as between Russia and China.