Germany refuses Greece an honourable surrender over austerity

Athens' decision to accept a eurozone loan extension shows the troika did not really want to negotiate with Syriza - it wanted capitulation

There is a phrase for what Germany is seeking to do to Greece: a Carthaginian peace. It dates back to the Punic wars when Rome emerged victorious in its long struggle with Carthage but refused to allow its opponent the chance of an honourable surrender. Instead, it enforced a brutal settlement, burning Carthage to the ground and enslaving those inhabitants it did not massacre.

A Carthaginian peace is what is being offered to Alexis Tsipras. On Thursday, the Greek prime minister made it clear that he was willing to see the white flag of surrender flutter over Athens. He accepted that he would have to swallow most of the conditions demanded of him by Greece's eurozone partners but asked for a few concessions to sugar the pill.

Related: Germany rejects Greek request for loan extension

Unless the Germans are bluffing, it leaves Greece with a binary choice: abject surrender or going nuclear