By Simon Lewis and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When Marco Rubio arrives in Latin America this weekend on his first foreign trip as Donald Trump's secretary of state, he'll find a region reeling from the new administration's shock-and-awe approach to diplomacy.

Rubio said he could not predict if Trump would succeed in buying Greenland from Denmark or restoring American authority over the Panama Canal while he is in office.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Thursday that President Trump’s interest in taking control of Greenland and the Panama Canal “is not a joke” and vital to US national security interests. “This is not a joke,

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday ruled out discussing control over the Panama Canal in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is set to visit the Central American country in his first official trip abroad this weekend.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino ruled out discussing control of the Panama Canal with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio when he visits the Central American country. "I cannot negotiate and much less open a process of negotiation on the Canal," Mulino said during his weekly press conference, saying the matter is "sealed."

The new U.S. secretary of state will find a region reeling from the Trump administration's shock-and-awe approach to diplomacy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump's desire to acquire Greenland and retake control of the Panama Canal is driven by legitimate national security interests stemming from growing concerns about Chinese activity and influence in the Arctic and in Latin America.

Rubio defended Trump's proposed territorial expansions as a 'national interest,' while Denmark and Greenland firmly rejected offers amid concerns over potential military action.