The European Union has permanently withdrawn a €2m (£1.7m; $2.3m) grant for the Venice Biennale after organisers allowed Russia to return to the prestigious arts festival for

the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The European Commission said the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) had ended the three-year funding agreement following a legal review and a recommendation from the Commission.

The decision comes after the Biennale announced that Russia would reopen its national pavilion at this year's festival, reversing a four-year absence that began after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Cultural events funded by European taxpayers' money must uphold democratic values and promote open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression," a European Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"These principles are currently not being respected in Russia."

The Commission had first warned in March that funding could be withdrawn if the Biennale proceeded with Russia's return.

The €2m grant had been intended to support film producers and projects involving immersive technologies over a three-year period.

The Venice Biennale, one of the world's leading international arts festivals, opened on 10 May and runs until November. Photo by Jennifer 8. Lee, Wikimedia commons.