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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Alex Croft

The secret group chat European leaders used to ‘deal with Trump’

  • The EU Commission is facing an investigation by an ombudsman for its refusal to publish details of a secret group chat involving Ursula von der Leyen , Volodymyr Zelensky , Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders.
  • The group chat, reportedly known as the 'Washington Group', was established to discuss how to deal with Donald Trump .
  • The Commission rejected a request from Dutch investigative organisation Follow the Money to access the correspondence, citing potential damage to the EU’s international relations.
  • Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho launched an investigation into the Commission's handling of the request, questioning its transparency and its failure to assess the documents or consider partial access.
  • The investigation is expected to take several months, with a meeting between the Commission and the ombudsman scheduled for mid-July.

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