Photographs and candles were laid at the US Embassy for the slain American commentator and Ukrainian refugee
A makeshift memorial to late conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, and murdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, has appeared outside the US Embassy in Moscow.
Kirk, 31, was murdered while speaking at a public event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was brutally murdered by career criminal Decarlos Brown Jr. on a North Carolina train last month. The graphic video of the unprovoked stabbing was released by the local transit system last week and spread rapidly across social media.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kirk’s killing reflected the deep polarization of American society, while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested it was a premeditated crime.
Kirk gained notable respect in Russia for his defense of traditional family and opposition to LGBT ideology, positions that echo Moscow’s emphasis on what it calls the preservation of traditional values. His criticism of Western liberal agendas and open sympathy for Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea further aligned him with views widely held among Russians.
US President Donald Trump condemned both killings, blaming “radical left” forces for fueling political violence, and pledged to seek the death penalty for the perpetrators.