Tensions around the Venice Biennale remain high with the reopening of the Russian pavilion, which had been closed since 2022. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has publicly criticized Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, deeming the reference to President Sergio Mattarella's words at the David di Donatello awards ("Be free and bold"), which Buttafuoco cited in his opening speech, "inappropriate". Giuli refers to this as "a rhetorical slip", and he maintains that the political issue of Russia’s presence in Venice remains unresolved, allegedly made possible through an agreement that bypassed international sanctions and government involvement. As a result, the conversation between the two is still ongoing. Giuli refers to an unanswered final message of disagreement and has yet to confirm a meeting with Buttafuoco during his next visit to Venice. Meanwhile, the case has assumed a European dimension. The EU Commission has warned the Biennale Foundation that it may lose a €2 million funding due to a probable infringement of contractual obligations connected to Moscow sanctions. Brussels has underlined that no funding has been disbursed to date and that, in the absence of acceptable clarification, the contract may be suspended or terminated. On the protest front, Pussy Riot and Femen activists have launched new raids on Venice, where they were halted by police before reaching St. Mark's Square. Demonstrations against the Russian presence, which included slogans and smoke bombs, disrupted the historic center. The mobilization has been joined by the withdrawal of artists and intellectuals, as well as the announcement of additional protest efforts, as the political and civil front against what has been described as "propaganda disguised as culture" grows.