Thank you very much, President Metsola. Minister, honorable Members.

Europe is in a fight A fight for a continent that is whole and at peace. For a free and independent Europe.

A fight for our values and our democracies.

A fight for our liberty and our ability to determine our destiny for ourselves. Make no mistake.

This is a fight for our future.

I thought long and hard about whether to start this State of the Union address. With such a stark appraisal.

After all, as Europeans are not used to or comfortable with talking in such terms,

because our Union is fundamentally a peace project.

But the truth is That the world of today is unforgiving.

We cannot varnish over the difficulties that Europeans feel every day.

They can feel the ground shift beneath them.

They can feel things getting harder, just as they are working harder.

They can feel the impact of the global crisis. Of the higher cost of living.

They feel the speed of change affecting their lives and their careers.

They worry about the endless spiral of events they see on the news,

from the devastating scenes in Gaza to the relentless Russian barrage on Ukraine.

We simply cannot wait for this storm to pass.

This summer showed us that there is simply no room or no time.

For nostalgia Battle lines for a new world order based on power. Are being drawn right now. So yes, Europe must fight. For its place in the world.

In which many major powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile to Europe.

A world of imperial ambitions and imperial wars.

A world in which dependencies are ruthlessly weaponized. It is for all these reasons. That a new Europe must emerge.

Honourable Members This must be Europe's independence moment.

I believe this is our Union's mission.

To be able to take care of our own defense and security.

To take control over the technologies and energies that will fuel our own economies.

To decide what kind of society and democracy we want to live in.

To be open to the world and choose partnerships with allies, old and new.

Ultimately, it is about having the freedom.

The power To determine our own destiny.

And we know we can do it.

Because together we have shown what is possible when we have the same ambition. Unity and urgency.

I must say I've lost count of the number of times that I was told that Europe could not do this and could not do that in the pandemic,

on the recovery plan, on defense, on supporting Ukraine, on energy security, and the list goes on.

Every time, Europe stood united and made it.

We need to do the same now, so honorable Members.

The central question for us today is a simple one.

Does Europe have the stomach to fight?

Do we have the unity and the sense of urgency?

The political will And the political skill to compromise.

Or do we just want to fight between ourselves? Be paralyzed by our divisions.

That is what all of us have to answer every Member State,

every Member of this House, every Commissioner, all of us.

In my eyes, the choice is very clear.

My pitch today is a pitch for unity. Unity between Member States. Unity between European institutions.

Unity between the pro-European democratic forces of this House.

I'm here, and the entire college is here, ready to make this happen with you.

Ready to strengthen the pro-European democratic majority,

because it is the only one that can deliver for Europe.

Honourable Members Freedom and independence are what the people of Ukraine are fighting for every day. People like Sasha and his grandmother.

Sasha was only 11 years old when the Russians attacked.

He and his mother sought refuge in a basement in their town in Mariupol.

One morning they went out to get some food. That's when all hell broke loose.

A rain of Russian bombs on a civilian neighborhood.

All became dark and Sasha felt his face burning.

He had shrapnel just below his eyes.

In a matter of days, Russian soldiers stormed the city.

They took Sasha and his mum to what the Russians called a filtration camp. Then Sasha was taken away.

They told him he didn't need his mum.

He would go to Russia and have another Russian mother, a Russian passport, a Russian name. They sent him to occupy Donetsk. But Sasha did not give up.

On a stop on the way, he asked to borrow a stranger's phone. And he called his grandma.

Lula Who was living in free Ukraine. Baba, just take me home. She didn't hesitate a second.

Her friends told her she was crazy to go, but Ludmila moved mountains to get to him,

and with the help of the Ukrainian government, she traveled to Poland,

to Lithuania, to Latvia, Russia, and finally into occupied Ukraine. She got Sasha back.

And through the same long journey brought him to safety. But their hearts are still broken.

Every single day they keep fighting to find Sasha's mom, stuck somewhere by Russia's brutal war.

I would like to thank Sasha and Ludmila for allowing me to share their story.

I'm honored that they are here with us today, and honorable Members,

please join me in paying tribute to Sasha,

to Ludmila, and to Ukraine's relentless fight for freedom. Just stand up, stand up. Stand up.

Sadly Such a story is far from unique.

There are tens of thousands more Ukrainian children whose fate is unknown,

trapped, threatened, forced to deny their identities.

We must do everything in our power to support Ukraine's children, and that is why I can announce that, together with Ukraine and other partners,

I will host a summit of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children,

every abducted child must be returned.