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Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble issued a true ultimatum to the Greek government and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, rejecting the possibility of a new haircut of the Greek debt or of holding a meeting on this issue.

"Greece’s rescue programme expires on 28 February and the mission of the supervisory Troika is the next evaluation. We are ready to cooperate with Greece but an extension of the programme can be ensured only if the government is absolutely committed to the implementation of the measures and reforms agreed. Greece has requested no extension of the programme. The talks on haircutting the Greek debt or holding a meeting on this issue are unrealistic," said the Finance Minister of Germany.

"The generosity of Germany has reached its limit in terms of the rescue programme to Greece", said Schaeuble.

"Contracts make sense only when one can rely on them," stressed the German Minister of Finance, adding that there must be solidarity in Europe but Germany and the European Union cannot be blackmailed.

Furthermore, Schaeuble stated that the European Union is ready to provide further assistance to Greece, even though the country "has requested no extension of the rescue programme."
 
"The positions of Wolfgang Schaeuble and his team are known. The decision of the Greek people to get out of the swamp of austerity is now internationally known as well," said government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis. He stressed that "the true negotiations that have started are not bilateral, between Greece and Germany, but between Greece and the entire European Union."

Meanwhile, the White House has refuted the reports of the Greek government press-service regarding the content of the telephone conversation between Barack Obama and Alexis Tsipras, as stated by Michalis Ignatiou on his website http://mignatiou.com that refers to sources of the website 7imeres.

According to the website, the US representatives have "corrected" the Greek version of the conversation, stating that,

1. Barack Obama first congratulated Greece’s Prime Minister, repeating his position for a change in the European policy of restrictions to growth (a position that he had previously presented to former Prime Ministers George Papandreou, Lucas Papademos and Antonis Samaras). This was the emphasis which had satisfied the Greek Prime Minister and which is referred to by the government press service.

2. The US president told Alexis Tsipras that the US "in cooperation with the European partners and the International Monetary Fund will work for the welfare of the Greek people, and the reforms in that respect have to continue."

3. Barack Obama reiterated the need to combat terrorism, emphasizing that security in Europe was a priority of the US - a statement, which is believed to indirectly refer to the relations between Europe and Russia, and to the issue of the crisis in Ukraine.