EU Commission launches probe into secret group chat with Zelensky, European leaders

The European Commission is being investigated by the EU ombudsman over a secret messaging group, known as the “Washington Group”, that included Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The chat was used to coordinate responses and discuss how to handle U.S. President Donald Trump after a White House visit in August of the previous year.

A Dutch investigative outfit, Follow the Money, requested access to the messages, but the Commission rejected the request, citing potential damage to EU‑third‑country relations and invoking a public‑interest exemption. Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho has opened a formal investigation into whether the Commission complied with transparency rules, with a meeting with Commission officials scheduled for mid‑July. The inquiry may take several months and could lead to changes in how the Commission archives and discloses official communications.