EU cannot just be reactive in response to Russia: EU's Tusk

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's response to Moscow after Russia's annexation of Crimea cannot solely be driven by events, European Council President Donald Tusk said. "It is obvious we will not find a long-term perspective for Ukraine without an adequate, consistent and united European strategy toward Russia," Tusk told a news conference at the end of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels. Tusk, the former Polish prime minister chairing his first EU summit, said a modern, safe and independent Ukraine was the most important element of such a strategy. "We must go beyond being reactive and defensive. As Europeans we must regain our self-confidence and realize our own strengths," Tusk said. (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; editing by John O'Donnell)