• The European Union is halting its funding for the Venice Biennale over Russia's participation in this year's edition, citing the need to safeguard democratic values and freedom of expression.
• Russia is participating in the Venice Biennale for the first time since launching its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with a music and performance project titled "The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky" at the Russian pavilion.
• The decision to withdraw funding from Brussels has been described as a political one by Biennale organizers, who stated that it will have no significant impact on the event's budget or planned activities.

The European Union is halting its funding for the Venice Biennale over Russia's participation in this year's edition, a European Commission spokesman said on Tuesday.

"Following the Commission's legal assessment and recommendation, EACEA has taken the decision to terminate the ongoing €2 million [$2.3 million] grant to the Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia," the spokesman said, referring to the European Education and Culture Executive Agency.

Cultural projects that are funded by European taxpayers' money should "safeguard democratic values, foster open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression," he said, adding that these are "values which are not respected in today's Russia."

The Biennale organizers described the withdrawal of funding from Brussels as a long-awaited "political decision" against which they would take action. However, they stated that it would have "no significant impact on the budget, the accounts or on planned or ongoing activities".

Russia is taking part in the Venice Biennale, which is held every two years, for the first time this year since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

Around 50 artists hand-picked by the Russian state worked on the music and performance project entitled "The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky" for the Russian pavilion.

Although the pavilion, which is owned by the Russian state, remains closed to the public, visitors can view the installation on a large screen outside.

This was the plan all along, according to the controversial curator Anastasia Karneeva, the daughter of an arms manager at the state-owned Rostec corporation who holds the rank of intelligence general.

The announcement that Russia would be participating was met with vehement opposition in Ukraine, where thousands of cultural monuments and other institutions have been destroyed or damaged in Russia's campaign, according to official figures.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna emphasized the links between the head of the Russian pavilion and Russia's arms industry.

European Commission officials said in March that they would examine the option of suspending or terminating the current EU grant to the foundation, which is used to support film producers and immersive technology.

The Venice Biennale, one of the most important international exhibitions of contemporary art, is taking place this year from May 9 until November 22.