A defiant Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged Greeks yesterday to reject an international bailout deal, wrecking any prospect of repairing broken relations with EU partners before a referendum on Sunday that may decide Greece’s future in Europe.

Less than 24 hours after he wrote to creditors offering to accept their bailout offer if some conditions were changed, Tsipras repeated in a televised address his charge that Greece was being “blackmailed” and quashed rumours that he might delay or call off the vote. The televised address added to the frantic and at times surreal atmosphere of recent days in which acrimonious messages from the leftist government have alternated with late-night offers of concessions to restart negotiations.

Meanwhile Eurozone finance ministers piled pressure on Greek voters and their government yesterday by warning that negotiations on a new bailout would depend on the result of Sunday's referendum on previous EU credit terms.

'We will come back to your request for financial stability support from the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) only after and on the basis of the outcome of the referendum,' Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs the Eurogroup, wrote to Tsipras.

This government has done nothing since it came into office

The implication is that loan terms – commitments from Athens to tighten its budget and revamp its economy – may be tougher in the event of a No to the creditors than a Yes. EU leaders have said this week that a No could jeopardise Greece's use of the euro, while a Yes would show support for the EU.

The latter could, EU governments believe, end Tsipras's five months in power and provide them an easier negotiating partner.

Dijsselbloem's one-page letter, published by EU officials, was sent in response to a request from Tsipras for a new loan which was briefly discussed by the Eurogroup in a conference call late yesterday evening.

Ministers agreed to hold no more discussions with Greece until after Sunday's vote.

They spoke just after Tsipras condemned 'blackmail' by creditors and called again for Greeks to vote 'No' to a bailout extension that in fact expired on Tuesday

At this point European leaders seem resigned, following Athens' default to the IMF and the expiry of the previous bailout package, to letting Greek politics run their course.

Tsipras has said he will implement the will of the people, whatever the outcome, but many question whether he can survive if Greeks overturn current opinion polling and vote 'Yes'.

In the meantime, Greece's euro zone partners see no point in talking further. 'Let's not put the cart before the horse,' tweeted Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir.

Several sources familiar with the hour-long conference call said there appeared to be no dissent from that view. Even French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, who had previously called for negotiations to continue this week, said that after Tsipras's latest speech there was no point in more discussions.

European Council President Donald Tusk retorted in a tweet: “Europe wants to help Greece. But cannot help anyone against their own will. Let’s wait for the results of the Greek referendum.”

“The Greek government will remain at the negotiating table until the end and will be there on Monday as well,” Tsipras said.

But Dijsselbloem said he saw “little chance” of progress after Tsipras’s latest comments.

In a letter to creditors, Tsipras agreed to accept most of their demands for taxes and pension cuts and asked for a €29 billion loan to cover all debt service payments in the next two years.

However, even if negotiations do restart after the referendum, Germany and others made clear that any talks on a new programme would have to start from scratch with different conditions. The exasperated tone to public comments of European leaders exhausted by the chaotic turnarounds of the past few days offered little hope of a breakthrough.

“This government has done nothing since it came into office,” German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in a speech in the lower house of Parliament in which he accused Athens of repeatedly reneging on its commitments.

“You can’t in all honesty expect us to talk with them in a situation like this,” he said.

An opinion poll showed opposition to the bailout in the lead but also that the gap had narrowed significantly as the bank closure and capital controls began to bite. But the hardship facing pensioners added to the pressure facing Tsipras, who has indicated he will resign if he loses the referendum.