VENICE, July 23. /Dunyo IA/. The Venice Biennale intends to challenge the European Union’s decision to cut a 2 million euro funding following the return of the Russian Pavilion to the 2026 exhibition program, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing Reuters.

The organizers said they would “assert our rights in all competent authorities,” emphasizing that the decision by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) had been anticipated.

The dispute surrounding one of the world’s largest cultural events began in March, when organizers announced Russia’s return to the Biennale for the first time since 2022. Following the announcement, the European Commission warned that it could suspend or terminate the 2 million euro in funding if the Russian Pavilion reopened.

According to European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier, events financed with European taxpayers’ money must “should safeguard democratic values and promote dialogue, diversity ⁠and freedom of expression,” which, in Brussels’ view, “are not respected in present-day Russia.”

For their part, the Biennale’s management said that the grant had been intended for projects of its film division and “has nothing to do with Russia’s participation.” The organizers also stated that the loss of funding would not have a significant impact on the budget or on the planned events.

The president of the Biennale Foundation Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, previously said that the festival should remain “a space of coexistence for the whole planet” without censorship.

In 2026, Uzbekistan will also take part in the Venice Biennale, presenting its national pavilion with a separate exhibition project alongside other participating countries.