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Christine Lagarde will try to exhort Alexis Tsipras. In the context of pressure to reach an agreement with the institutions and kickstart the reforms, Lagarde emphasised that this will restore Greek national sovereignty, which was one of the main election promises of SYRIZA.

All this was preceded by a spectre-raising match between Lagarde and Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis with a reference to what the former had said on Thursday, in a CNBC interview, about Greece's exit from the euro and its consequences for the Greek people.

In response to questions after her speech in the Atlantic Council, Mrs. Lagarde announced that the tranche from Greece has already landed at the IMF. "Yes, I got my money," said Lagarde and went on to confirm her will for cooperation with Greece and the other institutions.

"What is needed now is to act rather than talk. Greek authorities, together with the representatives of the three institutions, must sit down and work, focusing on what is necessary for Greece," said the IMF director.

Stressing each of her words, Lagarde said that the objective to be achieved is "the reconstruction and stabilization of the Greek economy, so as to revive the country's sovereignty." By referring indirectly to her meeting with Varoufakis of Catholic Easter, Lagarde said that she and her collaborators who are in charge with Greece, are working to help the country, regardless of the time and place ...

The commitments

"From our side we are absolutely committed, including during weekends, whenever and wherever – in Athens, Brussels, Washington – to help the authorities to take the measures needed to achieve the programme’s objectives. Some of the commitments taken on during the political cycle (she means during the election campaign) will be fulfilled. This is a difficult path, but it is the one we must walk if we are to improve the situation", said the IMF director.

Reportedly, her choice to mention the election commitments of the prime minister and SYRIZA was driven by her desire to find a way out of the impasse. During Lagarde’s meeting with Yannis Varoufakis and Panagiotis Roumeliotis, who accompanied the finance minister, the focus shifted on the issues created by the lack of understanding.

At one point Lagarde turned to Varoufakis and outlined the disastrous situation that would occur if Greece stepped out of the euro in one way or another (by its own choice or under duress).

"It would be a disaster for the Greek people. Allowing it or pursuing it would be a huge mistake," she said and added another warning: "We and the other institutions are prepared for every option, but the Greeks will experience a terrible situation."

This phrase made her interlocutors freeze. It shows that after five years of memorandum, everybody feels equipped to handle almost painlessly any situation.

Of course, there are still economists in Washington and in the US government who believe that Greece has a strong influence on the eurozone and the world economy even today, which is why the White House and the US Treasury continue to make calls across European capitals in an attempt to exert pressure to avoid ‘the crash’. According to US sources, this is how Varoufakis answered Lagarde:

"We are not exploring this option (i.e. Grexit). But if it happens, it won't be a bloodless situation for anyone (including the IMF, Europe and the European Central Bank). Help us to advance the reforms and pass on our message to the ECB to help prevent these hostilities towards Greece and to stop us being suffocated."