Merkel Said to Avoid Meeting Tsipras, Doubt Tax Plans

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to avoid being drawn into a direct confrontation with Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras and is unlikely to agree to a bilateral meeting with him at a European Union summit next week, a German government official said.

The chancellor’s goal is to show Tsipras that he is isolated in Europe, according to the official, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. What’s more, she sees little room for maneuver to provide further support for Greece and is skeptical about Tsipras’s claims that he can raise revenue by cutting corruption and increasing taxes on the rich, the official added.