Greece orders banks to shut

ATHENS - Greek leaders planned to shutter their banks Monday amid last-ditch discussions about their nation's economic future, as panicked citizens tried to pull their money from their accounts while they still were able.

Sunday's decision to close banks for six days was a signal that Greece's five-year battle to stay in the shared euro currency may swiftly be coming to an end. ATMs in Athens were running out of money, and tensions were running high as Greeks stood in line for hours to scrape together cash for basic supplies. Lines mounted at gas stations as worried residents topped off their tanks for what could be a period of time in a cashless nation.

"The decision not to prolong financial aid to Greece is offensive, and it's a disgrace for Europe in general," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in a brief Sunday evening address broadcast across Greek television networks. He said he was seeking an extended and enlarged bailout from European lenders that would carry the country past Tuesday, when it will otherwise face default.

There were signs that Greece's creditors - the International Monetary Fund and eurozone governments - were leaving the door open to negotiations. But it remained unclear ahead of Tuesday's IMF repayment deadline how Greece would be able to satisfactorily arrange its finances.

Tsipras said that the threat by European Union leaders to hold Greece to the deadline and not extend further assistance amounts to "blackmail." But he gave no concrete indications that he had made any concessions that would their minds.

Negotiations over Greece's future have been dragging for months. The disagreements are about the extent of the painful reforms it must make to continue receiving the rescue funds that keep the nation's finances afloat. But talks came to a halt on Saturday after Tsipras announced he would hold a referendum July 5 to ask Greeks whether they would accede to the austerity demands of the nation's creditors. Greek leaders have urged citizens to vote no.

In a measure of U.S. concern about the consequences for global stability if Greece is kicked out of the euro, President Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew worked the phones over the weekend to urge European leaders to take every possible step to keep Greece within the currency union.