VIENNA, January 19. /TASS/. The West faces the moment of truth, which has started the countdown in wait for the adoption of Russian proposals on security guarantees addressed to the United States and NATO, Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian delegation at the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, said on Wednesday.

Gavrilov spoke at the meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation, which is first in 2022.

"There arrives a moment of truth when the West either accepts our proposals or other ways will be found to safeguard Russia’s security," Gavrilov said. "I am convinced that with goodwill and a willingness to compromise in any situation, it is possible to find a way out to mutually acceptable solutions. We are running out of time. The countdown begins."

The Russian diplomat believes that what is at stake is to minimize military spending and to resolve the security issues, which are not pressing for Russia alone, but for all the nations in Eurasia and the Euro-Atlantic area as well.

Gavrilov pointed out that the NATO actions had resulted in fragmentation of the pan-European space and inflicted huge damage to the authority of the OSCE, which has turned into a hostage of the narrow agenda of the "collective West."

In these circumstances, the Russian delegation will henceforth be coming up at the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation with just the issues that meet its own national interests, the head of the Russian delegation stressed.

On December 17, 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a draft agreement with the United States on security guarantees and another one on measures ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states. Russia-US consultations on these issues were held in Geneva on January 10. A Russia-NATO Council meeting was held in Brussels on January 12. On January 13, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich presented these proposals at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.