Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more A Kremlin envoy has proposed a "Putin-Trump" rail tunnel between Russia’s Far East and the US state of Alaska to “symbolise unity”, even suggesting that it could be built by billionaire Elon Musk. Kirill Dmitriev, Moscow’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation and a key negotiator in Ukraine peace talks, suggested the project could be completed within eight years by Musk’s Boring Company at a cost of $8bn (£6bn). This could be funded by Moscow and “international partners”, he added. He envisaged the 70-mile rail and cargo link beneath the Bering Strait could unlock joint exploration of natural resources. A graphic shared by Kirill Dmitriev of the proposed project (Kirill Dmitriev/X) “Elon Musk, imagine connecting the US and Russia, the Americas and Afro-Eurasia, with the Putin-Trump Tunnel - a 70-mile link symbolising unity,” he wrote in a series of posts on X on Thursday. “Traditional costs are [over] $65bn, but the Boring Company's tech could reduce it to [under] $8bn. Let's build a future together!” He added: “This mega-project will connect continents and make the Boring Company the most exciting infrastructure innovator ever!” Musk does not appear to have responded to the proposal.