Live: France urges citizens to leave Ukraine as Zelensky says Russia has approved offensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said Russia had approved an offensive against Ukraine and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had not replied to his invitation to hold talks. France meanwhile became the latest Western nation to call on its citizens to leave Ukraine “without delay,” amid mounting concerns that Russia is preparing a full-scale attack. Follow the latest updates on our liveblog below.