The Russian Foreign Ministry has asked why the Washington Post never alleged Biden exploited George Floyd's death for political gain

Moscow has dismissed claims by the Washington Post that it has exploited the murder of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk for political purposes. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has suggested that the Western press is guilty of applying double standards.

Kirk, a co-founder of the conservative activist group, Turning Point USA, and a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, was fatally shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on September 10.

The Post published an article on Thursday that alleged "Russia moved to amplify online conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk's killing just hours after it happened" in order to incite violence.

Zakharova responded on her Telegram channel on Friday: "I'd like to ask this media outlet whether it published a similar report on how the US under [President Joe] Biden used the death of George Floyd for propaganda purposes."

Floyd, who was black, died while being detained by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 2020. Democrats were quick to characterize his death as an example of police brutality and racism in the US, while conservatives offered alternative versions as to what caused Floyd's death. The incident gave a fresh impetus to the Black Lives Matter movement, and accentuated the divide between the right and the left.

The Russian Embassy in Washington also dismissed the newspaper's claims.

"We consider it unacceptable that this tragedy is being used as a pretext to fuel anti-Russian hysteria," the diplomatic mission stated.

Earlier this week, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray told reporters that according to the suspected shooter's mother, Tyler Robinson had drifted to the left politically over the past year. The official also said Robinson was in a romantic relationship with a transgender person.

In the wake of the assassination, President Trump has claimed that the media and left-wing politicians bear partial responsibility for the violent act, citing dehumanizing rhetoric toward conservatives.