Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha comments follow the decision of the entire Biennale jury to step down over Russia’s participation in this year’s exhibition.
The Venice Biennale’s “cowardly choice” to allow Russia to participate in its 2026 exhibition “continues to harm” the organization, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Friday in a renewed call to ban Moscow’s return to Italy’s most prestigious art exhibition.
His comments follow the resignation of the entire Biennale jury over the organizers’ controversial move to allow Russia to participate for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“The jury’s decision to resign [demonstrates] the consequences of decisions taken by leading international art platforms,” Sybiha said on X. “From the very beginning, the Biennale’s cowardly choice to admit Russia has been disgraceful. Today, we see how it continues to harm the Venice Biennale.”
Earlier this week, the Italian government dispatched officials to investigate the return of Russian artists to the Venice event. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told reporters Thursday that she did not know whether the jury’s resignation was linked to the inspection, but reiterated her initial position: “The government does not share the choice made on the Russian pavilion.”
The Biennale opens its doors to the public on May 9, coinciding with Moscow’s Victory Day parade, which will be drastically scaled back for the first time in 20 years. Both events, along with major sporting fixtures, illustrate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to reassert Russia’s place on the international stage using culture and soft power as diplomatic tools.
“The aggressor’s culture is not neutral in the times of war and must never be utilized to serve the interests of the aggressor, to whitewash its crimes, and to spread its propaganda,” Sybiha argued.
The EU has threatened to cut millions of funding for the next edition of the Venice Biennale, while both Russia and Israel have been excluded from awards at this year’s edition. The Italian government repeatedly criticized the presence of Russia, with Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli choosing to boycott the event together with several other EU countries.