‘Grexit’ advocates are anti-European, says Greece’s Varoufakis

“The eurozone is not to be fragmented, and anyone who contemplates this fragmentation is either wittingly or unwittingly anti-European,” said the staunch critic of austerity.

Speaking of a “small cash flow problem”, Varoufakis acknowledged his country would have a difficult time meeting its debt payments this spring.

But he said he was confident it would come to an understanding with its EU creditors that is beneficial to all parties.

The outspoken finance minister denied he had misplayed his cards with his “frank” style, which critics say has antagonized his EU partners, chief among them Germany.

“Unfortunately, this crisis of the last five years has turned one proud nation against another, this is something we should avoid,” he said.

Touching on the vexed issue of German wartime reparations, Varoufakis said he didn’t want to tangle the sensitive subject with that of Greece’s present debt crisis – though adding: “a debt should be a debt everywhere”.