An investigation has been opened against Ursula von der Leyen over a closed chat with Zelensky and EU leaders

The European Union Ombudsman has launched a formal investigation into European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for refusing to provide access to a closed group chat, in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leading European leaders participated.

According to media reports, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were also in the chat.

According to the Berliner Zeitung, the correspondence could discuss the coordination of EU policy towards Ukraine and interaction with the administration of US President Donald Trump.

The reason for the investigation was the European Commission’s refusal to provide access to this correspondence to journalists. Brussels explained this by the risks to the EU’s international relations.

At the same time, the check does not concern the content of the messages, but compliance with the principles of transparency and openness of European institutions.

This is not the first scandal surrounding Ursula von der Leyen. Previously, the EU Court ruled that concealing her correspondence with the management of a pharmaceutical company during negotiations on the purchase of vaccines during the pandemic was unlawful.