MOSCOW/OSLO/KYIV - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that negotiations with Ukraine are on pause.

Asked about possible talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Peskov said expert-level discussions could lay the groundwork for any higher-level contact.

He stressed that such meetings "cannot be an end in themselves," adding they would not resolve what he called a complex and difficult problem.

Russia remains open to resolving the conflict through diplomacy and political dialogue, Peskov said. 

Informal summit in Copenhagen 

European Union (EU) leaders held an informal summit in Copenhagen on Wednesday, discussing issues including the advancement of an EU-wide "drone wall" and continued support for Ukraine, according to remarks made at a late-evening press conference.

During the informal meeting, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Commission had been given the green light to continue work on the "drone wall" and a rearmament roadmap.

She described the "drone wall" as an anti-drone system designed to "quickly detect, intercept and, if necessary, neutralize drones."

European Council President Antonio Costa said leaders had discussed continued support for Ukraine, adding that the conversation would continue at the next European Council meeting in October.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called funding for Kiev an investment in the security of the EU.

The informal format meant no binding decisions were expected, though EU institutions and national capitals indicated work would continue on defense initiatives and Ukraine support ahead of the October summit.

The European leaders will stay in Copenhagen for the European Political Community (EPC) summit on Thursday.

In the run-up to the summits, suspected drone activity disrupted flights at airports and triggered heightened security measures.  

EU loan

Ukraine on Wednesday received 4 billion euros (about $4.7 billion) in a European Union loan sourced from frozen Russian assets, according to the country's Ministry of Finance.

The funds were transferred to Ukraine's state budget under the Group of Seven's Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine initiative, the ministry said.

The funds will be used to support Ukraine's social sector, defense needs and recovery efforts, it added.

On the same day, the Kremlin warned European leaders that Russia would pursue any individual or country involved in seizing its assets, cautioning that such moves would backfire on European depositories and investments.

"We are talking about plans for the illegal seizure of Russian property. In Russian, we call that simply theft," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.