Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is adamant the Greek debt debate should not be seen as some form of battle.

He pointed the finger at journalists for the way they have been portraying the country’s new government’s stance over the country’s debt.

“My message to our German friends and indeed to all Europeans, is that no hand will be overplayed, because we’re not entering this in a confrontational manner. This is what journalists love to portray the situation as, as a kind of Wild West showdown. This is not it.

‘What we have here is different European governments with a common objective and that is to strike a mutually beneficial deal, one that minimises the cost of this crisis for the average European, not for the Greeks, not for the Germans, but thinking from a European perspective,” he said.

But he was given a stark reminder that the eurozone’s two largest economies will be crucial in this debate.

“Nothing can be done in Europe without a strong and sustainable agree