(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his disapproval of a Russian proposal to construct a rail tunnel beneath the Bering Strait connecting Russia and the United States.

The concept, described by Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev this week as a “Putin-Trump unity tunnel,” envisions a 70-mile rail and cargo link that could enable joint exploration of natural resources. Dmitriev, who also heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund (RDIF), suggested that billionaire Elon Musk’s Boring Company, known for its underground “Loop” transport systems, could play a role in the project.

During a meeting with Zelensky at the White House on Friday, US President Donald Trump told reporters he found the tunnel idea “interesting” and asked Zelensky for his opinion. Zelensky responded that he was “not happy with it.”

Dmitriev estimated the project could cost more than $65 billion but claimed that using Musk’s technology could reduce expenses by 90% to under $8 billion and complete the tunnel within eight years. He also noted that the RDIF, which helped construct the first rail bridge between Russia and China, is prepared to participate.

The Bering Strait, which separates Russia’s Chukotka Region from Alaska, narrows to 51 miles at its closest point. Dmitriev’s proposal followed the release of declassified Soviet files by Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, which included plans for a “Khrushchev-Kennedy Bridge” linking the two countries, alongside documents on the assassination of JFK.

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