'Impossible' For Greece To Service Debt, Tsipras Warns Merkel: FT

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has told German Chancellor Angela Merkel it will be "impossible" for Greece to service its debt in the next few weeks without short-term financial aid from the EU, the Financial Times has reported. "Given that Greece has no access to money markets, and also in view of the 'spikes' in our debt repayment obligations during the Spring and Summer of 2015 (primarily to the IMF), it ought to be clear that the ECB's special restrictions ... when combined with the disbursement delays ... would make it impossible for any government to service its debt obligations," Tsipras wrote in the March 15 letter, obtained by the FT. The Greek leader argues that Athens may have to choose between paying off loans, owed primarily to the International Monetary Fund, or continuing its social spending. Merkel and Tsipras are scheduled to meet in Berlin on Monday afternoon local time.

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