We won't owe US after refugee deal: PM

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull insists Australia won't be indebted to the United States if Donald Trump's administration does eventually take refugees from Nauru and Manus island.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Friday said the president would honour the asylum-seeker deal with Australia "in some way".

Mr Turnbull insists that doesn't mean Canberra will owe the US any favours such as committing more troops to the Middle East or ships to the South China Sea.

"We assess all requests for military assistance on their merits," Mr Turnbull told the Nine Network on Sunday.

"There is no linkage at all between an arrangement relating to refugee resettlement and any other matters."