As Americans we are insular, and we forget that the problem isn't just the warmongers in Washington. There are governments in Eastern Europe that are at least as bad.

East European countries have reacted critically to a U.S. proposal that a handful of North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies could meet with Russia to discuss its military build-up along Ukraine’s borders.

One government in the region is furious and seeking immediate clarification on what exactly President Joe Biden is planning, according to a diplomat from the country who declined to be named speaking on a confidential issue.

Another diplomat was more specific. The unease among the eastern flank, where countries that were once dominated by the Soviet Union now find themselves on the front lines against an aggressive Russia, centers on just what kind of concessions the talks might lead to in terms of political guarantees and curbs on NATO’s freedom of movement and its ability to carry out actions.

“Russia should under no circumstances be given a say in who may or may not be a member of NATO,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said at a news conference on Thursday. Moscow’s “most worrying wish is to divide Europe into spheres of influence. We remember these kinds of moments from our own history and we are in no way naive on this issue.”

Here's the thing: You can't play the "We've been abused by Russia, so we are afraid of them," while at the same time say, "F*ck Russia! We don't even have to talk with them, and we don't feel the need to avoid war with Russia."
One of those two things is not true.
If you keep digging into this you get to the truth.

White House officials have repeatedly said -- before and after Biden’s call with Putin on Tuesday -- that Russia will have no say on NATO’s expansion. “The president told Putin in their call: One nation can’t force another nation to change its border, one nation cannot tell another to change its politics, and nations can’t tell others who they can work -- who they can work with,” Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.

Then what is there to talk about? As for "nations can’t tell others who they can work -- who they can work with" are effing kidding me? The U.S. does that on a daily basis.
And "one nation cannot tell another to change its politics", what do you think happened during the Cold War? Or even in Latin America this very day?

The president is trying to show a degree of toughness in the face of Russian aggression yet some in NATO see his latest overture to Russia as a diplomatic concession.

So simply talking to Russia is beyond the pale? That's a recipe for war.

Eastern European nations have long been distrustful of Russia, a sentiment exacerbated by most decisions about their region being taken over their heads. They insist it is not up to Russia or any other non-member to influence who is picked to join NATO, one of the diplomats said. All the eastern flank countries are worried about the offer, with the Baltic states, Poland and Romania the most concerned, the official added.

Yeh, they don't sound scared AT ALL.

Western Europe, OTOH, wants to talk.