BRUSSELS, Oct. 24 - The European Union and Ukraine will discuss a bridging loan to Kiev next week so that the country can pay in advance for Russian gas deliveries for the coming months, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday, Reuters reported.

"There is a necessity for a certain amount of bridging finance," Merkel told reporters after the first day of a European Union summit.

The latest round of talks between Moscow and Kiev, brokered by the European Commission, to try to resolve a row over Ukraine's unpaid gas bill took place on Tuesday. They ended without agreement and more talks are scheduled for Oct. 29.