The Riga City Council, a major supporter of the Latvian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, has formally called for the cancellation of Russia's pavilion at this year's Biennale and in future editions until Russia ends its full-scale war against Ukraine and withdraws its forces from the illegally occupied territories. This request was articulated in a letter prepared by the Council and sent to the organizers of the Biennale, European cultural institutions, the international arts community, and cultural creators in democratic countries.

The letter also invites artists and curators of the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian pavilions to unite in a symbolic action at the event, aiming to create a joint performance and protest that highlights the 'unthinkable and primitively aggressive' war waged by Russia against Ukraine in the 21st century. The initiative seeks to draw attention to the dangers of normalizing the aggressor state, Russia, within the Western cultural space and to uphold the ethical autonomy of the arts.

The call emphasizes that while art cannot stop tanks, it can play a crucial role in raising awareness and sparking discussions around the ethics of representation at international cultural events like the Venice Biennale. This stance reflects a broader sentiment among several Baltic states advocating for a unified and ethical approach to confronting aggression through cultural diplomacy and solidarity in the arts community.