Sasha from Mariupol, a boy abducted by Russia

From the 2025 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen:

"...Honourable Members,

Freedom and independence are what the people of Ukraine are fighting for today. 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 of 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 neighbourhood. 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 a Russian mother. A Russian passport. A Russian name. They sent him to occupied Donetsk. But Sasha didn't give up.

On a stop on the way, he asked to borrow a stranger's phone. And he called his grandma, Liudmyla, 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 Liudmyla moved mountains to get to him. With the help of the Ukrainian government, she travelled to Poland, Lithuania, 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 mum – stuck somewhere by Russia's brutal war. I would like to thank Sasha and Liudmyla for allowing me to share their story. I am honoured that they are here with us today.

Honourable Members,

Please join me in paying tribute to Sasha, to Liudmyla, and to Ukraine's relentless fight for freedom. Sadly, Sasha's 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. This 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.

Honourable members, 

This war needs to end with a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. Because Ukraine's freedom is Europe's freedom. The images in Alaska were not easy to digest. But just a few days later, Europe's Leaders came to Washington to support President Zelenskyy and secure commitments. Real progress has been made since then..."

The photo below shows Sasha (Olexander) and his grandmother in the European Parliament (source).