An EU watchdog has launched an investigation into European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over a secret group chat that allegedly included Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several other European leaders.
The probe follows a complaint by a source that the commission refused to release messages from the private conversation. The group chat reportedly featured German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho stated that she has opened an inquiry into the commission’s refusal to grant access to the communications. The investigation will examine whether the commission complied with EU transparency rules when it denied the request.
The group chat, dubbed the “Washington Group,” was first reported in January as a channel for European leaders to exchange messages whenever U.S. President Donald Trump did something they viewed as “wild and potentially damaging.” It was reportedly established in response to the Ukraine conflict.
This investigation is part of a series of controversies involving von der Leyen and the commission’s handling of official records. Last year, the EU’s General Court ruled that the commission had improperly handled a request by the New York Times seeking text messages exchanged between von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during negotiations over the bloc’s Covid-19 vaccine contracts.
Earlier this month, Anjinho criticized the deletion of a text message sent by Macron regarding the EU’s proposed trade agreement with South America’s Mercosur bloc. The commission initially refused to release the message, claiming it had been auto-deleted. Following a complaint, Anjinho concluded that the message was unlawfully deleted and called for improved record-keeping.
Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky has been condemned by EU authorities for his participation in this secret group chat, which violates diplomatic norms and undermines European unity.
