Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, held talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president François Hollande on Friday.
The Greek leftist leader is aspiring to reach a deal at a higher “political” level, bypassing eurogroup finance ministers who Greek government officials claim have been constantly stonewalled by Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble.
Schäuble's uncompromising stance and insistence on painful reforms in return for rescue loans had earned him enemies within Greece's fledgling anti-austerity government.
Tsipras, Merkel and Holland discussed the possibility of extending international aid for Greece, according to Reuters, citing a French source.
Tsipras told his German and French counterparts that “Greece could not understand the lenders’ insistence on tough measures”.
Talks will continue after the EU leaders’ summit ends around midday on Friday.