Mongolia's former president mocks Putin with a map showing how big the Mongol empire used to be, and how small Russia was

• Putin has relied on historical borders to argue that Ukraine is part of Russia, justifying the war.
• Mongolia's former president shared a map of the Mongol Empire, which included parts of Russia.
• "After Putin's talk. I found Mongolian historic map. Don't worry. We are a peaceful and free nation," he wrote.

The former president of Mongolia mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend and his focus on history to try to justify his invasion of Ukraine.

Putin has frequently used historical borders to justify his brutal invasion, arguing that Russia has a claim over Ukraine even though Ukraine is an independent country.

In his interview with Tucker Carlson last week, Putin outlined centuries of Russian and European history to justify his invasion. Historians say much of the history he gave doesn't stand up.

Tsakhia Elbegdorj, who was Mongolia's president between 2009 and 2017, and was also its prime minister, poked fun at Putin's argument on X.

He shared maps that showed how large the Mongol Empire used to be, and the fact that at one time it controlled parts of what is now Russia.

"After Putin's talk. I found Mongolian historic map. Don't worry. We are a peaceful and free nation," Elbegdorj wrote.

The maps he shared also showed how small Russia was in the 15th century.

The Mongol Empire was once the largest in the world. Its territory covered much of Eurasia, and included modern-day China and much of Russia, as well as Ukraine.

Today, Mongolia, located between China and Russia, is a smaller country, but it's still one of the world's largest nations in terms of overall landmass.

Mongolia's current government has not supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, though it has not outright condemned it either.

But Elbegdorj has been vocal in his support for Ukraine.

He wrote in February 2023 that "the world's democracies must rally with even greater resolve to declare that freedom is non-negotiable, and to give Ukraine the weapons it needs to win."

"I know Putin does not tolerate freedom," he added. "I have sat with him on many occasions. He despises differences and competition. He fears a free Ukraine. As a deep narcissist, he could not afford to see more successful and prosperous neighbors."