Politico named Zelensky's five key demands during his tour of Europe regarding NATO membership and air defense.

About the five key requests of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, which are rated on a scale from 1 to 5, where one means the lowest chance of success. The first request, which concerns inviting Ukraine to NATO, has the lowest chances.

One of the important requests concerns the provision of allied air defense assistance to protect Ukrainian skies, analogies are drawn with support for Israel. The focus is on Poland and Romania, which could help shoot down Russian missiles and drones in border areas. The success rate for this request is low due to allies' fears of coming into conflict with Russia.

Zelensky has also called for stronger air defense systems, but deliveries have been suspended, although promises of continued supplies remain. Olaf Scholz announced the inclusion of new IRIS-T systems in a military aid package worth 1.4 billion euros, which is planned to be transferred to Ukraine by the end of 2024.

The third request concerns the possibility of using Western weapons to strike targets on Russian territory. However, the chances of success of this request are minimal due to fears of escalation of the war and Russian use of nuclear weapons. The fourth request relates to the provision of German long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, however, after Scholz’s refusal, mention of these missiles practically disappeared from public discussions.

The fifth request is to attract investment in the Ukrainian defense sector so that the country can independently produce weapons and stimulate economic growth. There is progress in cooperation with Germany's Rheinmetall, Norway's Nammo and Sweden's Saab, as well as other countries placing orders with Ukrainian defense companies.