In 2006, when Sarah Palin was Governor of Alaska, she backed a proposal to build a bridge to replace the ferry connecting the town of Ketchikan with Gravina Island — the location of Ketchikan International Airport and some 50 full-time residents. The cost of the bridge was projected at $398 million, exclusive of the requisite improvements to the surrounding infrastructure at both ends. The structure — nicknamed the “Bridge to Nowhere” — was never completed.

In the same year (just a coincidence), on a cruise along Alaska’s Inland Passage, one of our shore excursions included panning for gold in a stream near the site of a 19th-century prospectors’ camp. We knew the stream had probably been seeded with bits of gold to keep the tourists happy; but when I did find a couple of small flakes of the shiny yellow ore — even though it was worthless — I felt a little thrill of success.

The same can sometimes happen as I read through the mountain of news articles each day: once in a while, amid all the repetition, there will be a nugget of detail that jumps out because it is different, and doesn’t seem to belong in that particular story . . . which is what happened to me yesterday.

I was reading an analysis of the current state of U.S.-Russia negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine, and what to expect from a proposed meeting to be scheduled between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, when my attention began to wane. But for some unknown reason, I continued reading to the end . . . and this is what I saw:

“Russian officials also appear to be preparing their own offerings to present to the US side in talks.

“Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, revived the idea of building a tunnel under the Bering Sea to connect Russia and the United States though [sic] Alaska and suggested that Elon Musk’s Boring Company build it.” [Zoriana Stepanenko and Reid Standish, RFE/RL, October 18, 2025.]

And I’m thinking:

So I followed a link to another article, which told me that I was not losing my mind; a tunnel connecting Russia and America’s 49th state is a real proposal, masterminded by the head of Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev.

Dmitriev proposes that the two countries build a “Putin-Trump” rail tunnel under the Bering Strait to link their territories, open up joint exploration of natural resources, and “symbolise unity,” according to a Kremlin official. The 70-mile-long tunnel would cost an estimated $8 billion, to be funded by Moscow and unspecified “international partners,” and would be completed within eight years. [Andrew Osborn, Reuters, October 17, 2025.]

During the White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, October 17th, a reporter asked Donald Trump what he thought of the idea. He called it “interesting,” and asked Zelensky what he had to say about it. Zelensky’s response:

“I’m not happy with this idea.” [Id.]

Apparently, this prompted a few chuckles from the U.S. side of the table. But somehow I don’t think Zelensky was trying to be funny. He was, after all, in Washington to plead for further help to save Ukraine from Russia’s onslaught — not to talk about building bridges (or tunnels) between his supposed ally and the very enemy that was trying to destroy his country.

Seriously . . . what the hell was Trump thinking?!! With all of his alleged concerns about national security — already being carried to previously unheard-of extremes — could he seriously be considering giving Russia free access to our sovereign territory? Did he even notice the mention of financing from unnamed “international partners”? Or of his onetime BFF, Elon Musk?

But the foremost question in my mind is whether he simply hasn’t focused on the details as yet, or whether this has been part of his “trade” discussions with Putin all along.

Either way, it’s a truly frightening prospect . . . right up there with the Qatari Air Force training facility in Idaho.

But why stop there? Why don’t we just hand out keys to the Pentagon to all of our adversaries while we’re at it?

Seriously . . . WTF??!!!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/19/25