KYIV/MOSCOW - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that US President Donald Trump has given Ukraine the green light to carry out retaliatory strikes against Russia, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Thursday.

"If they attack our energy, President Trump supports that we can respond on energy," Zelensky said in an interview with US online media outlet Axios.

Trump had said the same about Russian drone factories and missile sites, he said, emphasizing that Ukraine will not target civilian areas.

Zelensky noted that Ukraine has drones capable of striking deep into Russia and that if the country receives additional long-range weapons from the United States, it will use them.

The Ukrainian leader also said he is prepared to organize elections if a ceasefire is reached.

Asked whether he would consider his job complete once hostilities subsided, Zelensky said his goal "is to end the war, not to continue running for office."

Peace efforts in Ukraine

Also on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow believed Washington still retains the political will to advance peaceful settlement efforts in Ukraine.

Peskov said that statements from Washington about possible consequences for Russia if it fails to engage in good-faith negotiations did not contradict the United States' declared willingness to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

"We see different rhetoric coming out of Washington. For now, we assume that Washington retains political will, and that President Trump maintains the political will to continue efforts toward a peaceful settlement in Ukraine," Peskov said.

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He added that Moscow supports these efforts and Russia remains open to joining peace talks.

On Wednesday, US Vice-President JD Vance said that it would be "very bad" for Russia if it refused to negotiate in good faith, adding that it is not a shift in position.

Trump earlier said at the United Nations General Assembly that if Russia is not ready to reach a peaceful agreement, the United States "is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs." 

Kursk nuclear plant

Separately, a Ukrainian drone attempted to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant-2 (NPP-2) in the town of Kurchatov in Russia's Kursk region, regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said.

The drone hit one of the buildings under construction at the plant site, Khinshtein said. He added that the structure was damaged by shrapnel, but there was no fire risk.

No casualties were reported, and the Kursk NPP-2 continues to operate normally, he said.

Radiation levels are within normal limits at the Kursk NPP, the press service of the plant said later.

The Kursk NPP-2, located near the Russia-Ukraine border, is a major energy project under construction to replace the aging Kursk NPP.

Russian fighter-bomber, transport aircraft

On Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said the Ukrainian forces have destroyed a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber and two An-26 transport aircraft.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Su-34 was shot down overnight while attempting to attack the city of Zaporizhzhia with guided bombs.

Meanwhile, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry said in a statement that its units burnt two Russian An-26 in Crimea.

The military intelligence units also hit the Russian surface radar system and coastal radar station MR-10M1 Mys M1 in Crimea, the statement said.