Video: Elon Musk Highlights How Russia And US Are Just Two Miles Apart

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Starlink, recently shared an X (formerly known as Twitter) post featuring an interesting video. The clip, titled "The Distance Between the US and Russia is Less Than You Think - Diomede Islands", reveals a surprising geographical fact about the two countries.

"Not all Americans know that the US and Russia are much closer to each other: just two miles apart. And more than that, they are even connected sometimes," the video notes.

Watch the video here:

pic.twitter.com/O0wKflXOyK

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 7, 2025

While Russia and the United States of America may seem far apart on the global map, their closest point is just 2.4 miles (approximately 3.8 kilometres) apart. This distance is found between two islands in the Bering Strait known as the Diomede Islands, located in the Arctic Ocean. The islands - Little Diomede, which belongs to the United States, and Big Diomede, which is part of Russia - are separated by the narrow strait. Despite their proximity, the two islands are located on opposite sides of the International Date Line, making them a unique geographical feature.

According to the Russian News Agency TASS, the islands bear the names of two renowned Russian navigators, Ivan Krusenstern and Makar Ratmanov, who led Russia's first circumnavigation expedition from 1803 to 1806.

Russian explorer Semyon Dezhnev became the first recorded visitor to these islands in 1648, when he discovered the strait separating Eurasia and North America. Later named after Vitus Bering, who sailed through it in 1728, the strait now forms part of the 30-mile-long Russian-American border - a demarcation established after the Russian Empire sold Alaska to the US in 1867.

The fascinating video gained massive traction after Elon Musk shared it on his X handle, accumulating over 77 million views to date. Over 11000 people have left their comments on it, and close to 4 lakhs have liked it. 

Some users commented on Elon Musk's tweet with surprising reactions, suggesting that the US and Russia should consider allying, as they have more in common with each other than with the EU. 

One user expressed astonishment, noting, "That's wild. America and Russia are neighbours and should be natural allies." 

Another thanked Musk for sharing the video, saying, "Very interesting; I never knew that. Thank you, Elon, for reposting."