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BY KERRY LEARY ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY A new Cold War? Or political posturing in an election season? The ongoing drama over missile defense systems is pitting NATO against Russia. Russian officials are again threatening pre-emptive strikes on Eastern European missile defense facilities if the U.S. goes ahead with its missile defense shield. Fox News reports... "Washington is pushing for a NATO plan to push NATO defense elements across europe. Russia argues it could undermine their own forces. They threaten retaliatory action." This back and forth has been going on for awhile. But the rhetoric is getting more heated. So, are the tensions real? 2012 is an election year for both Russia and The United States. CNN recalls.... "The admission comes just over a month after President Barack Obama unknowingly spoke into an open microphone to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev saying he would have "more flexibility" to negotiate on missile defense after the U.S. elections." According to the U.S. and NATO, the missile interceptors are intended to protect Europe against attacks from Iran or North Korea. But The Moscow Times says, Russia is digging in. "Russia has been outspoken in its resistance to NATO-backed U.S. plans to deploy a system of missiles to protect its European allies from potential attacks from states like Iran, saying it could neutralize Russian military capabilities." The U.S. rejected Russia's bid to build a joint missile defense in Europe. The U.S. also won't guarantee those won't target Russian missiles. Russia Today says mistrust is building. "Russia, meanwhile, argues that the construction of the system, just miles from the Russian border, will tip the nuclear scales between the two former Cold War foes." The western military alliance plans to announce the deployment of the first phase of the missile defense shield at a NATO summit in Chicago in June. Russian elections took place in March, but U.S. elections won't take place until November.