EU Vows to Cut Venice Biennale Funding Over Russia Participation

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Monday that the bloc intends to cut funding to the Venice Biennale following a decision by the art exhibition to readmit Russian artists to its 2026 edition. "While Russia bombs museums, destroys churches and seeks to erase Ukrainian culture, it should not be allowed to exhibit its own," Kallas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "Russia's return to the Venice Biennale is morally wrong, and the EU intends to cut its funding." Kallas made the remark in passing during a press conference largely focused on Ukraine, where she also discussed continued military and financial support for Kyiv, new sanctions and efforts to counter Russian disinformation. The Venice Biennale, one of the world's most prominent art exhibitions, is set to host Russia for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — a move that has sparked widespread criticism across Europe. Latvia's Culture Minister Agnese Lāce, who had spearheaded a joint position by 25 European countries calling for Russia's exclusion, said she will boycott the Biennale's May 9 opening if Moscow takes part. In a statement, Latvia's Ministry of Culture argued that allowing Russia to participate would give "legitimacy through a major European cultural platform supported by European funding" to a sanctioned aggressor state, and warned that individuals linked to the pavilion have ties to Russian state structures and pro-Kremlin narratives. In a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Kallas, 37 MEPs also urged the EU to suspend funding — estimated at around €2 million over three years — and consider restrictive measures against individuals linked to the Russian pavilion. The Biennale has defended its decision, arguing it remains a space for dialogue where art is kept separate from politics. But for a growing number of European policymakers, Russia's return raises broader questions about whether cultural neutrality is tenable while the war in Ukraine continues.