Latvia pressures Italy: “The EU should ban Russia from the Venice Biennale”

Brussels – Italy should ban Russia from participating in the Venice Biennale, “I believe we should adopt a common position on banning” Moscow from the 61st International Exhibition, which opens on 9 May. From Latvia and its Foreign Minister, Artjoms Uršuļskis, comes a clear and unequivocal stance, which exposes his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, to pressure from European partners. The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg is also influenced by the government in Riga, which has included an issue deemed worthy of discussion under the “any other business” agenda item.

“Russia is killing civilians every day and is destroying the European cultural heritage located there. We believe collective action is necessary,” thundered the Latvian Foreign Minister on his arrival, openly criticizing the attacks on the Ukrainian city of Lviv (Leopoli), a UNESCO site that specifically protects the Bernardine Monastery. “The Russians have no intention of ending the war. This is not the time to grant them international credibility. Exclusion from the Venice Biennale “is a way” of ensuring the continued delegitimization, and therefore, “we ask our colleagues to support us” in the request submitted to the agenda.

More generally, according to Uršuļskis and the Latvian government, “we must continue to put pressure on Russia” to further weaken it. This is particularly true now, given that “following the elections in Hungary, there is a whole new window of opportunity” to isolate Moscow. Following the defeat of Viktor Orban and the imminent departure of the Kremlin’s ally within the EU, Italy and its Foreign Minister are now being urged to avoid making concessions to the Russian Federation.

Latvia finds support from the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas: “While Russia bombs museums, destroys churches, and seeks to erase the Ukrainian culture, it should not be allowed to exhibit its own. Russia’s return to Venice Biennale is morally wrong“, she pointed out at the end of the meeting. For this very reason, “the EU intends to cut its funding”, she added.