"Cultural events funded by European taxpayers' money should safeguard democratic values and foster open dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression — values which are not respected in today's Russia," European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.

The EU has cancelled a €2 million grant to the Venice Biennale following the reopening of the Russian pavilion.

The European Union said Tuesday that it had definitively cancelled a two million euro ($2.3 million) grant to the Venice Biennale over Russia's presence at the world's biggest…