As Eurozone Finance Ministers Meet About Greece, Compromise May Be Elusive

BRUSSELS — German and Greek officials traded barbed remarks ahead of a meeting of eurozone finance ministers on Monday, signaling how difficult it may be to resolve the latest crisis over finances in Greece.

The European part of Greece’s bailout program is to expire at the end of the month, raising the risk that the country could default on loan repayments and become the first member of the euro currency union to leave it. An emergency meeting of the same group of finance ministers from the 19-country currency union ended in failure last week.

Investors expressed their doubts about Monday’s meeting by sending Greek stocks and bonds down.

“Even if the Greeks were to back down over some red lines, which is possible, the political atmosphere in Europe will need to be more dramatic to justify what is essentially going to be a ‘flip’ by the Greek government,” wrote Mr. Rahman, referring to the pressure Greece faces to make concessions.

“Furthermore, Germany’s negotiating position,” Mr. Rahman wrote, “has been extremely tough.”

Niki Kitsantonis contributed reporting from Athens.

The New York Times