Biennale chief: EU withdrew €2 million grant over Russia's return to arts exhibition

Venice Biennale chairman Pietrangelo Buttafuoco publicly attacked the European Union at the film festival press conference on Thursday for pulling a €2 million ($2.3 million) grant. The EU acted in response to Russia's return to the Biennale arts exhibition — its first participation since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Buttafuoco said of the EU: "They are abandoning us."