What the article says in its headline is:
"Russia ready to use nuclear weapons if threatened - army chief"
It does not say if attacked, it says "if threatened". So what does that mean? If Threatened?
I personally think it is a cold war tactic because of the missile shield in Russia's back yard, and perhaps because of what is going on in the Middle East. I don't think that the coming war will be started by Russia or the United States, but by Islamic sects, fighting their sectarian violence, that will break out in full blown war when US forces leaves Iraq. When Shia and Sunni go to war over Iraq, this will engulf the entire region. The rest of the world will join in because of politcal alliances, and because of Middle East Oil, and defending their own national interests.
This power struggle between Iran (Shia) and Saudi Arabia (Sunni) is already going on in Iraq...pre-civil war phase...when the U.S. leaves, a full blown civil war will break out. I feel what is about to transpire in the Middle East in the coming months, is going to change the world we live in dramatically.
I have left out the obvious in all of this this, but I will say it now... US withdrawal would be "dangerous" and a major source of concern for Israel...From such a withdrawal, anarchy would break out in Iraq and spread across the Shi'ite-Sunni world...Not many of us today will realize and dare to predict that the Shiite-Sunni Civil war in Iraq today bloody as it is, presages a much greater and bloodier regional Shiite-Sunni and Arab-Persian war in the Middle East. If war breaks out between Sunni/Shia nations, it will surley see Israel having to defend itself from them in the fray.
Will there be a nuclear exchange between nations? ...well, I think what is coming is not going to be very pleasant for either side.
If you want to follow Islamic prophecy, it may be the time of the 12th Imam Mahdi you heard talk about. Will an Islamic saviour rise up and and reconcile Islam and save the day, the end to WWIII? Will there be a president who takes oath of office on the Koran? ...just thought I would throw this out there.