At true size, Russia is about 8.6× the size of Mexico. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 43.4× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 5.1×.
It is a latitude illusion: Russia sits near 66°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 6.1×, while Mexico lies near 24°, inflated only about 1.2×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 8.6×.