We can make all those idiots allies by freezing them out and soon all five will wish they had an measly economy as poor as North Korea's is today.
Great power rivals create the messes. Delusional tyrants risk their entire societies to create the actual weapons with some ability to deny the original source. Suicidal fanatics deliver the actual blows. The assembly line is meant to push a new crisis to the front as fast as the old ones can be cleaned up. Useful idiots, fifth columns, opposition leaders and parties in the intended victims and international organizations are supposed to gum up responses, run propaganda campaigns, and help future recruitment.
The eventual goal of the strategy ranges from maximum "upside" only the zealots long for - the US a smoking irradiated ruin after a century of nuclear terrorism, as Bin Laden would have it - to just keeping us busy for a decade or two while they improve their economies and militaries. In between there is a class of outcome where a "momente juste" might allow direct revanchist action by the originating powers, against Taiwan and Ukraine, etc.
They did not magically become saints when they decided communism does not work as an economic system. They are rival great powers, cynical and reckless ones at that. So far, they haven't faced the slightest consequence themselves - whatever one of their proxies has suffered - for their hostile actions.