Russian prosecutors have declared the NGO National Endowment for Democracy (NED) “undesirable,” which means all of its activities are now banned in Russia, The Moscow Times reports. NED, an organization funded by the U.S. Congress, is the first NGO to be declared undesirable under legislation signed into law by Putin in May. Russian prosecutors claim the NED has tried to sway government policy, discredit Russian army service and make election results be seen as illegitimate. Critics say Putin is cracking down on civil society.