Tusk Urges Tsipras to 'Seek Help Among Friends, Not Enemies'

Donald Tusk urged Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to turn to friends for help but the president of the European Council did not specify who those were.

"Seek help among your friends, not your enemies — especially when they are unable to help you. And if you want to help your friend in need, do not humiliate him," Tusk said without elaborating, as quoted by Enikos.gr.

The European Union must find common ground in a last-ditch effort to settle the Greek debt crisis and keep the country within the Eurozone, Tusk added.

"We need unity not because unity is a beautiful idea but because it is indispensable in order to take concrete decisions. Without unity we will wake up in four days in a different Europe. This is really and truly the final wake up call for Greece," he noted.

Stark reality: Only 4 days left to find agreement on #Greece. Calling on all leaders to find consensus. Race against time to re-build trust

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) 8 июля 2015

Tusk added that "the last chance procedure has just started" after Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem received a formal Greek request on Wednesday for the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) program, as agreed on Tuesday.

Tusk also warned that everyone would lose if all parties fail to reach an agreement.

Inability to find agreement may lead to bankruptcy of #Greece & insolvency of banking system. Everyone will lose

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) 8 июля 2015

Tsipras, who came to power in January on an anti-austerity platform, said on Wednesday that Greece "was used to experiment with austerity. The experiment, we must admit, failed." He called on the European leaders and creditors to reach a "viable and honest compromise."

My country was used to experiment with austerity. The experiment, we must admit, failed. #Greece #EPlenary #olomeleiaEK #Eurosummit

— Alexis Tsipras (@tsipras_eu) 8 июля 2015

Now, must reach a viable & honest compromise, one that will avoid a historical break & goes against EU tradition. #Greece #EPlenary

— Alexis Tsipras (@tsipras_eu) 8 июля 2015

In a historic referendum on Sunday, over 61 percent of Greeks rejected the unpopular austerity measures Athens' major international creditors insist on, triggering renewed fears of a Greek default and subsequent exit from the Eurozone.

On Tuesday, the Eurozone leaders set a Friday deadline for Greece to present economic proposals in exchange for debt restructuring and investment in the Greek economy by the European Union.

An extraordinary summit on the Greek issue has been scheduled for Sunday.