ZURICH Jan 24Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod called Russia's proposals for security guarantees in Europe unacceptable and said that the Russian Federation should withdraw them. «They should withdraw their unacceptable proposals to change the security system throughout Europe. These proposals remind us of the darkest days of the Cold War» 
00:31Zakharova: Russia is waiting for a US response to the proposed security guaranteesHe added that the EU is ready to have a dialogue on ensuring security for all European countries and transparency in arms control. «But this must be done in accordance with the principles and treaties that Russia itself has committed to include within the framework of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe — ed.),» Kofod added. At the end of 2021, Russia published draft treaties with the United States and agreements with NATO on security guarantees. Moscow, in particular, demands from its Western partners legal guarantees of refusing further expansion of NATO to the east, from joining the Ukrainian bloc and from establishing military bases in post-Soviet countries. The proposals also contain a clause on the non-deployment of NATO strike weapons near Russia's borders and the withdrawal of alliance forces in Eastern Europe to the positions of 1997. The first meeting between the Russian Federation and the United States, dedicated to dialogue on Russian initiatives, was held on January 10 at the level of deputy heads of foreign affairs agencies. This was followed by a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels and consultations at the Vienna site of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In continuation of the discussions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken held talks in Geneva on January 21. that the counter is «ticking» in security negotiations with NATO
