Russian news agency Sputnik quoted various experts about the proposal to build a railroad tunnel underneath the Bering Strait, as a major opportunity for cooperation between the U.S. and Russia. They even say the project would be a “jackpot” for both countries. Nonetheless, with its anti-Russian policy, the European Union will have little to gain.
The tunnel “could reshape transcontinental logistics, integrate markets, and potentially anchor a future Eurasia-North America transport corridor—even attracting third countries” Pavel Sevostyanov, associate professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Sputnik. “However, the key questions—the volume of cargo traffic, how costs compare to maritime transport, and political coordination—still lack convincing answers,” he noted.
Sevostyanov said it was seen as a symbol of technological cooperation and geoeconomic ambition.
Ekaterina Novikova, Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Theory at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Sputnik that nearly everyone stands to gain if the tunnel is built “except the EU.” The EU could find itself sidelined by its own”self-harming sanctions” against Russia.
“In that scenario, the initiative will be seized by Russia and the United States,” she says.
Last December, Russia’s presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation Kirill Dmitriev confirmed that the idea of a Russia-Alaska tunnel is being discussed as Russia and the U.S. explore avenues for dialogue and a constructive agenda after the Ukraine conflict is resolved.
