A Kremlin envoy floated the proposal as a “symbol of unity” between the two countries as President Trump seeks to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
President Trump to meet with President Putin in Budapest for Ukraine peace talks
After their phone conversation, President Donald Trump announced that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest to discuss peace negotiations with Ukraine.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump was vague when asked about the possibility of building a tunnel from Russia to Alaska, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy did not like the proposal.
“That’s interesting,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office at the White House on Oct. 17. “I’ll have to think about that.”
President Trump then asked President Zelenskyy, who was meeting to discuss how to end the three-year war with Russia, for his reaction. Zelenskiy replied: “I’m not satisfied.”
The proposal was posted on social media on October 16 by Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special investment envoy and head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund RDIF. Dmitriev suggested an $8 billion tunnel running 110 miles under the ocean could be built to cross the Bering Strait, the narrowest point between the two continents.
Dmitriev said the tunnel would become a “symbol of unity” by providing rail and freight connections between the two countries. He posted President Trump’s comments on social media.
Dmitriev floated the proposal after Trump and Putin spoke for two hours about how to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. The two leaders are scheduled to meet in Budapest within two weeks at the earliest to further advance peace negotiations.
Dmitriev has forged a relationship with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy leading peace talks in the Middle East and Ukraine. Dmitriev suggested that former Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Boring Company could build the tunnel.
During the meeting, Trump repeatedly pointed out that Putin and Zelenskyy have a lot of “bad blood” and that they “hate each other.” President Trump embarrassed the Ukrainian leader by jokingly asking what he thought about the proposal.
“This is the tunnel that was revealed yesterday from Russia to Alaska,” Trump said. “What do you think about that, Mr. President? Do you have any ideas? How do you like those ideas?”
“I don’t think he liked it,” Trump said with a smile after Zelensky’s response.
Contributed by: Reuters
