Ever read Putin's book? I haven't but will try to find it in the library.
WW4 has definitely started, it is an economic war.
We are now in a pre-Munich appeasement phase of things, i.e. the West is in denial that WW4 has already commenced.
But it's an economic war, not a military war.

These are the players:

Starring:
Russia, today = Germany, then
humiliation of losing the Soviet Empire in 1989 = humiliation of losing WW1, and Kaiser, in 1918
humiliation of bankruptcy in the 90s (blamed on foreigners) = humiliation of bankruptcy in the 20s (blamed on Jews)
Putin = Hitler
book "First Person" = book "Mein Kampf"
energy markets, today = 'Raum', then
Russia's energy weapon (against EU) = Germany's military weapon (against Central/East Europe)

Pretext:
Georgia, today = Czechoslovakia, then
South Ossetian Russians, today = Sudetenland Germans, then

Opposition:
EU, today = France, then (i.e. hopelessly over-challenged)
US, today (preoccupied with retaining its Gulf/Asian colonies/assets/markets etc.) = UK, then (preoccupied with keeping Indian colonies, etc..)
Obama or McCain, today = Chamberlain then
{Cheney if McCain wins 2008 election, McCain if Obama wins 2008 election}, soon = Churchill, then

Activities:
Russian take-over of energy markets, today = German invasion of Central/East Europe, then
Gasprom, today = SS/Gestapo, then
Sale of energy distribution companies to Gasprom, today = submission to Hitler (Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, etc..), then

Other players:
China, today (will watch from the sidelines; will walk away with the chips at the end) = US, then (like China today, the US in the 30s was an imperfect democracy -racism, poverty- but very dynamic)
OPEC, today (Russia has non-aggression agreements with Iran, Libya, etc.) = Soviet Union, then

The end ?:
Following an intensive scientific effort (mobilised along the lines of the US 'Manhattan Project'), Chinese scientists will eventually invent a new form of (electro-magnetic ?) energy generation, and the consequence of the Chinese E bomb (E for energy supply bomb) will be twofold:
1. China will assume world economic and political leadership
2. Russia and OPEC will no longer be able to play the energy weapon (but oil/gas will remain important for the plastics industry)

Just call me Tigasin. That's what I'm talking about