Alexis Tsipras states that Obama supported Greece in 2015 to remain in the eurozone, while Putin refused to provide assistance.

Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras revealed in his memoirs, titled "Ithaca", that in 2015, American President Barack Obama offered him support to prevent Greece from leaving the eurozone. In contrast, Russian leader Vladimir Putin refused to provide assistance, considering that supporting Greece would be equivalent to throwing money in the trash. Tsipras describes the phone call with Obama, in which he warned him about a strong bloc in the EU that wanted to expel Greece. During an emergency meeting of the European Council, Tsipras felt the pressure to accept the harsh conditions imposed by the EU, but he managed to secure an agreement thanks to the intervention of Donald Tusk and François Hollande. Tsipras also recounts a tense meeting with Putin, who advised him to reach an agreement with Angela Merkel, describing her as constructive. His memoirs reopen the discussion about the management of the sovereign debt crisis in Greece.