WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US-government supported International Republican Institute (IRI), headed by US Senator John McCain, lashed out against Russian President Vladimir Putin after learning it was banned in Russia as an undesirable foreign organization on Thursday.
"This move really says more about Vladimir Putin than it does about IRI. It's further proof that he fears democracy and allowing his people to have an opportunity to shape their own future," the IRI said in a press release.
Earlier on Thursday, Russian Prosecutor General’s office officially recognized the IRI as an "undesirable group on the territory of the Russian Federation."
The IRI noted that the new designation is "simply confirmation of a job well done."
IRI’s Chairman, John McCain was sanctioned by Russia in 2015 and recently told Sputnik he views the designation as a "badge of honor."
Other US non-governmental organizations on Russia’s list include the IRI’s sister organization the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and their funder, the National Endowment for Democracy.
The National Endowment for Democracy, the IRI and its sister organizations — NDI, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the Solidarity Center — are widely considered by analysts to be US instruments of political pressure and regime change that operate under the guise of promoting democracy and free enterprise.
