Latvia’s Minister of Culture Agnese Lāce has said the country will not take part in the opening of the Venice Biennale on 9 May 2026 if Russia is included among the participants. According to her, Russia’s presence is unacceptable in light of its full-scale war against Ukraine. Lāce has also joined an initiative by 25 European countries calling on organisers to exclude Russia from the list of participants, Politico reports.
Latvia’s Ministry of Culture stressed that Russia’s presence on such a prestigious cultural platform would effectively legitimise it and could facilitate the spread of pro-Kremlin narratives through state-linked participants.
The situation has already drawn criticism within the EU. European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas said that the possibility of reducing funding for the Biennale is being considered.
At the same time, organisers insist the exhibition should remain “a space for dialogue where art is separated from politics”.
Finland had earlier also signalled potential restrictions on its participation. A number of European politicians and ministers have already called for Russia to be fully excluded from the event and even for funding to be cut if it takes part.