Bangladesh, May 15 -- A $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8, dubbed a “flying palace,” has become the latest flashpoint in a growing debate about diplomatic gifts, presidential ethics, and the delicate line between statecraft and personal gain. Qatars proposed donation of the jet to the US government has drawn fire from lawmakers in Washington, even as Doha insists the transaction is nothing more than a “very clear” act of diplomacy between two allied nations.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani addressed the controversy in an exclusive interview with CNN on May 14, during a visit by President Donald Trump to Qatar as part of his Middle East tour. Al-Thani rejected suggestions that the gest...