He certainly isn't stupid but he has incredible power, he is a warmonger (he worked for the KGB before his presidency) and he knows very well that in the end, power is what truly governs all. At the end of the day, he has all the advantages of moving first: the countless economic ties with countries all over the world (which always put profit first and values, second) and the second strongest military force in the whole world.
He certainly isn't stupid but he has incredible power, he is a warmonger (he worked for the KGB before his presidency) and he knows very well that in the end, power is what truly governs all. At the end of the day, he has all the advantages of moving first: the countless economic ties with countries all over the world (which always put profit first and values, second) and the second strongest military force in the whole world.