Former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that she thinks some protests in the United States demanding a ceasefire in Gaza could be linked to Russia, and that the FBI should conduct a probe into their funding, Reuters reports.

Pelosi, who made the remarks in a CNN interview, provided no evidence for her claims. She was asked whether opposition to US President Joe Biden’s policy in the Gaza conflict could hurt the Democrat in November’s presidential election.

“For them to call for a ceasefire is Mr Putin’s message, Mr Putin’s message. Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) would like to see,” Pelosi told CNN.