Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, told CNN that his country would back out of its offer to provide US President Donald Trump with a luxury jet if the deal is found to be illegal, BTA reports.
He described the planned transfer of a Boeing 747-8 aircraft as a "government-to-government" deal, intended for eventual use as the presidential plane, Air Force One.
Al Thani rejected accusations of foreign influence, stressing that the deal was coordinated between the Qatari and U.S. defense ministries, not between private individuals.
"Why would we buy influence in the United States?“ he asked rhetorically, adding that Qatar has a long history of supporting the United States in times of global crisis - support that is built on mutual friendship, not personal favors.
The potential deal for the luxury jet, which Trump has said will be donated to his presidential library after his term ends, has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
Even some of Trump's own supporters expressed concern that the Qatari proposal could be perceived as an attempt to trade political influence.