On X, Tsakhia Elbegdorj, Mongolia's president between 2009 and 2017 and its former prime minister, poked fun at Putin's argument. He shared maps showing how large the Mongol Empire was ...

Accompanying Elbegdorj's post were maps of the Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries. One shows the breadth of the vast but short-lived empire, which at its peak covered 9 million square miles.