WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Patriot missile systems for Ukraine are “already being shipped” from Germany under a NATO-backed deal in which the United States will be fully reimbursed.

“They're already being shipped. They're coming in from Germany and then replaced by Germany,” Trump told reporters after an event in Pennsylvania. “In all cases, the United States gets paid back in full.”

Trump said the payments will come either through NATO or directly from EU member states, emphasizing that “we’re not going to have any more investment to make. We’re getting our money back in full.”

“If we can make a (peace) deal, that would be great. We’re saving 5,000 or 6,000 soldiers a week -- they’re Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, not American soldiers,” he said. “It’s a shame -- last week they say 7,100 soldiers, both Russian and Ukrainian, were killed.”

Trump announced the deal during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on Monday.

“We made a deal today…We are going to be sending them (Ukrainians) weapons, and they are going to be paying for them. The US will not be having any payment made. We're not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they're going to be paying for it,” he said.

Rutte confirmed the arrangement, saying: “The US has decided to indeed massively supply Ukraine with what is necessary through NATO. Europeans (are) 100% paying for that.”