EU cuts Venice Biennale funding over Russia pavilion; Ukrainian filmmaker condemns move

The European Commission withdrew a €2m grant from the Venice Biennale after it permitted Russia to reopen its pavilion for the first time since 2022, despite the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa criticized the funding cut as a symbolic, ineffective punishment. The move signals EU cultural-policy pressure on institutions that engage with Russia, but its broader geopolitical impact is limited.