Russia is set to return to the Venice Biennale with its national pavilion for the first time since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This has sparked a funding feud, with the European Commission threatening to withhold a €2 million grant from the event if Russia's exhibit proceeds, a move criticized by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.
The controversy highlights the intense political pressure surrounding cultural platforms during wartime. Ukraine's representative, artist Zhanna Kadyrova, plans to focus on her own pavilion's message rather than protest, while a coalition of Kyiv and 21 EU countries argues that granting Russia this prestigious platform sends a troubling signal of normalcy amid ongoing aggression.