October 20, 2025 • 13 mins
The Kremlin proposed an $8B Bering Strait tunnel linking Russia to the U.S., asking Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build it and suggesting it be named after Putin and Trump.https://wilwaldon.com
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Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The
Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host Will Walden.
Vladimir Putin and Russia want to build a tunnel linking
Siberia and Alaska, and it wantsElon Musk's Boring Company to
(00:25):
dig it. Kremlin officials floated the $8
billion proposal this week, suggesting a new physical link
between Russia and the United States through the Bering
Strait. And the idea, buried in
geopolitics and logistics, comeswith a wild twist.
Moscow wants to name it after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
(00:48):
Now, the concept of a Russia to America tunnel has existed for
decades, but this latest versionbrings fresh urgency.
Kremlin's special envoy Alexander Roy Yazanov delivered
the plan to U.S. officials as a diplomatic overture, framing the
tunnel not just as infrastructure but as a symbol
of cooperation and peace. He called it the Putin Trump
(01:10):
Peace Tunnel. How the name signals in Moscow's
political intentions are loud, and the engineering feat is also
very loud. It's a giant project, and Russia
wants Elon Musk involved. Imagine that, one of Trump's
buddies to be involved in this process.
(01:31):
Officials see this tunneling startup, which is Boring
Company. It's been around for a little
while. It's going to be central to
building a link, setting its experience in underground
transport infrastructure. Now the route would stretch
nearly 100 kilometers under the Bering Strait between Russia and
Alaska. It would move both passengers
(01:52):
and cargo via high speed rail using electric train similar to
those Musk once pitched for his Hyperloop ideas.
Moscow claims it's prepared to fund half the cost in hopes
private US capital will cover the rest.
That framing places pressure on American firms and potentially
the US government to take a position.
And so all its construction would involve building support
(02:15):
infrastructures across remote Arctic terrain on both sides,
with few existing roads, rail lines, or utilities anywhere
near the proposed path. Nothing like this has been done.
The engineering challenges are immense.
The Bering Strait is seismicallyactive, with shifting ice
sheets, extreme cold, and a narrow window for construction
(02:37):
each year. Any tunnel would need to be
completely sealed from water intrusion and designed to
withstand tectonic activity. Now, unlike Musk's existing
Boring Company tunnels under LosAngeles or Vegas, this product
would push technical limits far beyond anything Elon and the
company has ever attempted to doso far.
(02:57):
There are also serious politicalconsequences.
The US and Russia remain locked in conflict over Ukraine.
Cyberattacks, sanctions and building a physical connection
between the two countries, particularly one branded with
the names of Putin and Trump, would provoke backlash in
Washington and among US allies. The project risks becoming a
political litmus test rather than a genuine infrastructure
(03:20):
project to link the two nations.Ryazanov, who's a long time
Kremlin insider, pitched the idea as a peace initiative, but
the underlying goal appears morecomplex.
Russia officials described it aspart of a broader Arctic
development strategy when they could help connect Russia's
resource rich Far East with global trade routes.
(03:44):
The tunnel would form a northerngateway to Eurasia, giving
Moscow another way to bypass Western control, sea routes and
air corridors. That is why they want to build
the tunnel, not because they want to be friends with the
United States, but that is the reason.
Northern gateway to Eurasia and that would give Moscow a way to
(04:05):
bypass western control. Sea routes in air corridors
don't fall for their BS people. The Trump connection complicates
matters further. Naming a tunnel after a former
U.S. President when he's out of
office. He'll be out of office in a
couple years by the time this project actually gets started.
It entangles the project with American domestic politics.
(04:29):
Trump praised Putin's leadershipstyle and called for improving
US Russia relations, but any official endorsement of the
project could fuel accusations of foreign interference or
foreign influence seeking. And the Boring Company hasn't
commented yet, of course, because they just kind of
learned about this. And Musk has maintained lines of
(04:50):
communications with leaders all over the world, Russia, China,
often positioning itself as a techno neutral figure.
He just wants to do the businessin those countries and that's
it. Doesn't want to do the politics.
But look at his ex profile. You'll see he does the politics.
He's also publicly supported building futuristic
transportation systems in extreme environments.
(05:12):
Think about Mars. This could actually be a really
good testing ground for Elon andMars because as we all know, if
Elon builds something, it's not just for Earth.
Tesla vehicles were designed forEarthlings, but they are
designed well. They're learning how to build
(05:34):
them for Mars by building them for Earth.
Also SpaceX, of course. I mean, they make rockets that
are going to go to Mars, right? When they bought Solar City,
they need solar panels on Mars because there's no way to make
any sort of energy on Mars without sun power.
And of course, there's very limited sun power compared to or
solar power compared to the United States, which is the hub
(05:56):
of Elon's solar projects for Tesla.
Also battery power, great for long term Mars habitation.
And on top of that boring company.
You need to dig holes under the surface of Mars because the
first people that are going to be on Mars won't be living on
(06:18):
the surface. Too much radiation right away.
So instead of finding lava tubes, lava tunnels, why not
just bring the digger there withyou?
Bring the boring company with you.
Now that being said, everything that and of course, like the the
Tesla robots, Tesla auto drive, you know, like all this stuff is
(06:40):
for Mars. So everything that Elon builds
is for the future. And having the Boring Company
build this tunnel in every tunnel that's ever been built
has been overrun with extra time, extra costs.
And if Russia wants to give ElonMusk and the Boring Company
(07:01):
billions of dollars to build this thing, they have to realize
that he's a businessman first and foremost.
He needs that money to continue building things for Mars.
But Elon, of course, will take this into consideration.
I'm sure he's talked to Putin, maybe not about this, but talked
(07:22):
to Putin recently. You know, he wants to build
futuristic transportation systems in crazy environments.
But taking part in a Kremlin based tunnel, Kremlin backed
tunnel actually, at a time of heightened geopolitical tension
could bring out the regulators, especially with export controls
(07:43):
and national security reviews now very common for any company
doing business with Russia. Now, mind you, Elon Musk is part
of Trump's crew, even though he's flamed him in the past on
X. But yeah, they're still buddies.
They're still buddies. Don't let them fool you.
And I'm trying to call this downthe middle.
(08:06):
You know, I'm a skeptic straightup.
From day one, I've always been in Elon's corner for building
the things that he builds. But he's playing the game here.
Elon, Trump, Putin are all playing the game here, the
politics game and as such, and this is not about being friends
(08:28):
with the US people. If you think it is, think again.
Russian officials described it as part of a broader Arctic
development strategy going back a little bit, one that could
help connect Russia's resource rich Far East with global trade
routes. Russia is doing this to make
money straight up. They're not doing this for
(08:48):
peace. They're not doing this so they
can name a tunnel after President Trump or Vladimir
Putin. They're not doing this to shake
hands in a hug at the end of thetunnel.
We're going to get a beautiful rainbow shot of both of the the
fearless leaders together at theend of the tunnel.
That's not going to happen or that might happen, but it's not
for the right reasons. It's because Russia wants to
(09:09):
make a lot of money. They want to make trillions of
dollars from the resources with the global trade routes and then
if they use this tunnel, northern gateway to Eurasia,
giving Moscow another way to bypass western controlled sea
routes and air corridors. Of course, they don't want to be
under scrutiny from the Western civilization.
(09:32):
They don't want it from Western controlled sea routes and air
corridors. They don't want to.
They want to bypass all of that.They want their life to be
easier. And the way that Russia is now
with US, the the politics with Ukraine, everything, it is under
scrutiny for everything. So I don't know what you think
(09:54):
about this. I want to know in the comments
of whatever podcast platform you're listening to right now, I
want to know what you think of this tunnel between Russia and
the US. Is it worth the money for Elon
to do this? Is it worth maybe just maybe
military think about that invasions through this tunnel
(10:17):
instead of Arc etcetera. Is that a possibility?
Do they sneak troops through this tunnel sometime sneak, you
know, hardware this it's it's almost impossible to get other
other troops and gear up there. So we it's, it's obviously this
(10:41):
isn't just for fun of it, this is for money.
It is a genuine infrastructure plan that could give Russia a
heads up if anything happens in the United States, but also give
them a leg up would trade all over the world.
So we know that Trump and Putin,they're kind of buddy buddy, you
(11:05):
know, they're kind of friends. So if they work together on
this, Trump is doing this because not because he wants
peace. He's said so in the past.
He's wants, he doesn't want anybody to fight anymore, but he
doesn't want anymore wars. He don't want other people
killed. But this is strictly because
somebody's going to be greasing the pockets of somebody else
(11:27):
getting the money somehow. Trump's friend Elon, he's still
his friend is going to be makingmoney off of this from the US
government and also from Russia.So if they do that, Elon Musk
gets his deal, $8 billion. How many, how much money would
(11:50):
Elon donate to say a, a rally, abunch of rallies for Trump?
Just think about that. What see what happens after Elon
starts getting his $8 billion for this tunnel.
I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm just saying that's
how this administration works and other administrations in the
(12:14):
past have worked like this too. So tell me what you think of the
comments. I don't like the idea.
As you can tell I'm pretty skeptical about it.
I think it's sheisty and weird at this point because Vladimir
Putin and Russia are attacking one of our allies, yet they want
(12:36):
to make a peace tunnel with us at the same time to stop
attacking our allies. That would show peace, right?
That would make sense. And then maybe when you do that,
this could be part of the peace accord that, you know, we'd
think about it. It doesn't make any sense right
now because they're not our friends.
(12:57):
I mean, maybe, you know, try to work with them, of course, try
to figure it out. But right now they're attacking
one of our allies and an ally ofour other allies.
And I'm from I'm from the UnitedStates, by the way.
So yeah, it's some geopolitics going on here.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
I want to really have a community outpouring here.
(13:18):
What do you think? Hey, thank you so much for
listening today. I really do appreciate your
support. If you could take a second and
hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast
platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly
appreciate it. It helps out the show
tremendously and you'll never miss an episode.
And each episode is about 10 minutes or less to get you
(13:39):
caught up quickly. And please, if you want to
support the show even more, go to patreon.com/stagezero and
please take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you
tomorrow.
Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The
Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host Will Walden.
Vladimir Putin and Russia want to build a tunnel linking
Siberia and Alaska, and it wantsElon Musk's Boring Company to
(00:25):
dig it. Kremlin officials floated the $8
billion proposal this week, suggesting a new physical link
between Russia and the United States through the Bering
Strait. And the idea, buried in
geopolitics and logistics, comeswith a wild twist.
Moscow wants to name it after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
(00:48):
Now, the concept of a Russia to America tunnel has existed for
decades, but this latest versionbrings fresh urgency.
Kremlin's special envoy Alexander Roy Yazanov delivered
the plan to U.S. officials as a diplomatic overture, framing the
tunnel not just as infrastructure but as a symbol
of cooperation and peace. He called it the Putin Trump
(01:10):
Peace Tunnel. How the name signals in Moscow's
political intentions are loud, and the engineering feat is also
very loud. It's a giant project, and Russia
wants Elon Musk involved. Imagine that, one of Trump's
buddies to be involved in this process.
(01:31):
Officials see this tunneling startup, which is Boring
Company. It's been around for a little
while. It's going to be central to
building a link, setting its experience in underground
transport infrastructure. Now the route would stretch
nearly 100 kilometers under the Bering Strait between Russia and
Alaska. It would move both passengers
(01:52):
and cargo via high speed rail using electric train similar to
those Musk once pitched for his Hyperloop ideas.
Moscow claims it's prepared to fund half the cost in hopes
private US capital will cover the rest.
That framing places pressure on American firms and potentially
the US government to take a position.
And so all its construction would involve building support
(02:15):
infrastructures across remote Arctic terrain on both sides,
with few existing roads, rail lines, or utilities anywhere
near the proposed path. Nothing like this has been done.
The engineering challenges are immense.
The Bering Strait is seismicallyactive, with shifting ice
sheets, extreme cold, and a narrow window for construction
(02:37):
each year. Any tunnel would need to be
completely sealed from water intrusion and designed to
withstand tectonic activity. Now, unlike Musk's existing
Boring Company tunnels under LosAngeles or Vegas, this product
would push technical limits far beyond anything Elon and the
company has ever attempted to doso far.
(02:57):
There are also serious politicalconsequences.
The US and Russia remain locked in conflict over Ukraine.
Cyberattacks, sanctions and building a physical connection
between the two countries, particularly one branded with
the names of Putin and Trump, would provoke backlash in
Washington and among US allies. The project risks becoming a
political litmus test rather than a genuine infrastructure
(03:20):
project to link the two nations.Ryazanov, who's a long time
Kremlin insider, pitched the idea as a peace initiative, but
the underlying goal appears morecomplex.
Russia officials described it aspart of a broader Arctic
development strategy when they could help connect Russia's
resource rich Far East with global trade routes.
(03:44):
The tunnel would form a northerngateway to Eurasia, giving
Moscow another way to bypass Western control, sea routes and
air corridors. That is why they want to build
the tunnel, not because they want to be friends with the
United States, but that is the reason.
Northern gateway to Eurasia and that would give Moscow a way to
(04:05):
bypass western control. Sea routes in air corridors
don't fall for their BS people. The Trump connection complicates
matters further. Naming a tunnel after a former
U.S. President when he's out of
office. He'll be out of office in a
couple years by the time this project actually gets started.
It entangles the project with American domestic politics.
(04:29):
Trump praised Putin's leadershipstyle and called for improving
US Russia relations, but any official endorsement of the
project could fuel accusations of foreign interference or
foreign influence seeking. And the Boring Company hasn't
commented yet, of course, because they just kind of
learned about this. And Musk has maintained lines of
(04:50):
communications with leaders all over the world, Russia, China,
often positioning itself as a techno neutral figure.
He just wants to do the businessin those countries and that's
it. Doesn't want to do the politics.
But look at his ex profile. You'll see he does the politics.
He's also publicly supported building futuristic
transportation systems in extreme environments.
(05:12):
Think about Mars. This could actually be a really
good testing ground for Elon andMars because as we all know, if
Elon builds something, it's not just for Earth.
Tesla vehicles were designed forEarthlings, but they are
designed well. They're learning how to build
(05:34):
them for Mars by building them for Earth.
Also SpaceX, of course. I mean, they make rockets that
are going to go to Mars, right? When they bought Solar City,
they need solar panels on Mars because there's no way to make
any sort of energy on Mars without sun power.
And of course, there's very limited sun power compared to or
solar power compared to the United States, which is the hub
(05:56):
of Elon's solar projects for Tesla.
Also battery power, great for long term Mars habitation.
And on top of that boring company.
You need to dig holes under the surface of Mars because the
first people that are going to be on Mars won't be living on
(06:18):
the surface. Too much radiation right away.
So instead of finding lava tubes, lava tunnels, why not
just bring the digger there withyou?
Bring the boring company with you.
Now that being said, everything that and of course, like the the
Tesla robots, Tesla auto drive, you know, like all this stuff is
(06:40):
for Mars. So everything that Elon builds
is for the future. And having the Boring Company
build this tunnel in every tunnel that's ever been built
has been overrun with extra time, extra costs.
And if Russia wants to give ElonMusk and the Boring Company
(07:01):
billions of dollars to build this thing, they have to realize
that he's a businessman first and foremost.
He needs that money to continue building things for Mars.
But Elon, of course, will take this into consideration.
I'm sure he's talked to Putin, maybe not about this, but talked
(07:22):
to Putin recently. You know, he wants to build
futuristic transportation systems in crazy environments.
But taking part in a Kremlin based tunnel, Kremlin backed
tunnel actually, at a time of heightened geopolitical tension
could bring out the regulators, especially with export controls
(07:43):
and national security reviews now very common for any company
doing business with Russia. Now, mind you, Elon Musk is part
of Trump's crew, even though he's flamed him in the past on
X. But yeah, they're still buddies.
They're still buddies. Don't let them fool you.
And I'm trying to call this downthe middle.
(08:06):
You know, I'm a skeptic straightup.
From day one, I've always been in Elon's corner for building
the things that he builds. But he's playing the game here.
Elon, Trump, Putin are all playing the game here, the
politics game and as such, and this is not about being friends
(08:28):
with the US people. If you think it is, think again.
Russian officials described it as part of a broader Arctic
development strategy going back a little bit, one that could
help connect Russia's resource rich Far East with global trade
routes. Russia is doing this to make
money straight up. They're not doing this for
(08:48):
peace. They're not doing this so they
can name a tunnel after President Trump or Vladimir
Putin. They're not doing this to shake
hands in a hug at the end of thetunnel.
We're going to get a beautiful rainbow shot of both of the the
fearless leaders together at theend of the tunnel.
That's not going to happen or that might happen, but it's not
for the right reasons. It's because Russia wants to
(09:09):
make a lot of money. They want to make trillions of
dollars from the resources with the global trade routes and then
if they use this tunnel, northern gateway to Eurasia,
giving Moscow another way to bypass western controlled sea
routes and air corridors. Of course, they don't want to be
under scrutiny from the Western civilization.
(09:32):
They don't want it from Western controlled sea routes and air
corridors. They don't want to.
They want to bypass all of that.They want their life to be
easier. And the way that Russia is now
with US, the the politics with Ukraine, everything, it is under
scrutiny for everything. So I don't know what you think
(09:54):
about this. I want to know in the comments
of whatever podcast platform you're listening to right now, I
want to know what you think of this tunnel between Russia and
the US. Is it worth the money for Elon
to do this? Is it worth maybe just maybe
military think about that invasions through this tunnel
(10:17):
instead of Arc etcetera. Is that a possibility?
Do they sneak troops through this tunnel sometime sneak, you
know, hardware this it's it's almost impossible to get other
other troops and gear up there. So we it's, it's obviously this
(10:41):
isn't just for fun of it, this is for money.
It is a genuine infrastructure plan that could give Russia a
heads up if anything happens in the United States, but also give
them a leg up would trade all over the world.
So we know that Trump and Putin,they're kind of buddy buddy, you
(11:05):
know, they're kind of friends. So if they work together on
this, Trump is doing this because not because he wants
peace. He's said so in the past.
He's wants, he doesn't want anybody to fight anymore, but he
doesn't want anymore wars. He don't want other people
killed. But this is strictly because
somebody's going to be greasing the pockets of somebody else
(11:27):
getting the money somehow. Trump's friend Elon, he's still
his friend is going to be makingmoney off of this from the US
government and also from Russia.So if they do that, Elon Musk
gets his deal, $8 billion. How many, how much money would
(11:50):
Elon donate to say a, a rally, abunch of rallies for Trump?
Just think about that. What see what happens after Elon
starts getting his $8 billion for this tunnel.
I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm just saying that's
how this administration works and other administrations in the
(12:14):
past have worked like this too. So tell me what you think of the
comments. I don't like the idea.
As you can tell I'm pretty skeptical about it.
I think it's sheisty and weird at this point because Vladimir
Putin and Russia are attacking one of our allies, yet they want
(12:36):
to make a peace tunnel with us at the same time to stop
attacking our allies. That would show peace, right?
That would make sense. And then maybe when you do that,
this could be part of the peace accord that, you know, we'd
think about it. It doesn't make any sense right
now because they're not our friends.
(12:57):
I mean, maybe, you know, try to work with them, of course, try
to figure it out. But right now they're attacking
one of our allies and an ally ofour other allies.
And I'm from I'm from the UnitedStates, by the way.
So yeah, it's some geopolitics going on here.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
I want to really have a community outpouring here.
(13:18):
What do you think? Hey, thank you so much for
listening today. I really do appreciate your
support. If you could take a second and
hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast
platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly
appreciate it. It helps out the show
tremendously and you'll never miss an episode.
And each episode is about 10 minutes or less to get you
(13:39):
caught up quickly. And please, if you want to
support the show even more, go to patreon.com/stagezero and
please take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you
tomorrow.
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