Kyiv is pressing the European Union to grant it full control over the funds expected from frozen Russian assets, Reuters reported, citing a senior official from President Vladimir Zelensky’s administration.

According to the source, the Ukrainian government insists that it must receive the money before the end of the year and retain the right to decide independently how it will be spent.

While several EU member states are pushing to channel the potential credit mainly toward purchasing weapons from European manufacturers — a move aimed at bolstering their own defense industries — Kyiv opposes such restrictions. Ukrainian officials argue that the country needs flexibility to use the funds not only for acquiring arms outside the EU but also for rebuilding infrastructure and addressing the aftermath of ongoing hostilities.