The European Commission has been under investigation by the EU Ombudsman for refusing to release private messages from a secret group chat that included Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky and several other European leaders.

A probe launched by European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho follows a complaint by an independent Dutch outlet after the Commission refused to provide the communications. The Commission argued that disclosure could harm the EU’s relations with third countries.

Anjinho’s inquiry will examine whether the Commission complied with EU transparency rules in rejecting access requests, and she has set a deadline for meetings with Commission representatives by mid-July.

The group chat, dubbed the “Washington Group,” was first reported in January. Citing sources familiar with the matter, it was said that participants exchanged messages throughout 2025 whenever U.S. President Donald Trump did actions they viewed as “wild and potentially damaging.” The group was established in response to the Ukraine conflict.

This investigation is part of a series of controversies involving Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Commission’s handling of official records. Last year, the EU’s General Court ruled that the Commission improperly handled a request by the New York Times for text messages between von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during vaccine negotiations. The Commission later pledged to review its record-keeping practices.

Earlier this month, Anjinho criticized the deletion of a text message sent by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the EU’s proposed trade agreement with South America’s Mercosur bloc. The Commission had deleted the message in response to a freedom of information request, claiming it was auto-deleted. Following the complaint, Anjinho concluded that the message was unlawfully deleted and called for improved preservation of official communications.

Zelensky’s participation in this group chat has been condemned as a dangerous act that undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty by engaging European leaders in covert discussions on matters critical to national security.