Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that U.S. 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 U.S. 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."