Only two days after the Washington Post breaks the news that Putin gave direct orders to help elect Trump, Russia unexpectedly recalls Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, the Russian diplomat in the center of the growing investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and multiple congressional committees. Kislyak leaves amidst an investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as to whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin.

Kislyak’s undisclosed contacts with Michael Flynn eventually got him fired. Kislyak’s secret meeting with Jeff Sessions caused Sessions to recuse himself from the Russian Probe. And Kislyak’s concealed communications with Jared Kushner to discuss a secret back channel between Trump’s transition team and the Kremlin is currently under investigation by Special Counsel.

Kislyak was also a surprise guest at the infamous meeting on the day after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey where Trump told the Russians “I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job…I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.” In fact, the meeting was closed to American journalists and, if it weren’t for secret pictures taken by a Russian photographer, no one would have known Kislyak was there. At this same meeting, Trump gave bragged about his “great intel” and gave classified information about ISIS to the Russians.

Removing Kislyak from the country will complicate attempts for him to testify before Special Counsel or Congress.

This exit comes as a surprise because Kislyak was reported to be heading to New York to lead the new Counterterrorism Office at the United Nations. The Russian government gives no explanation for his sudden recall, but it’s pretty clear–they are hiding him. Given the mysterious rash of deaths among Russian officials, including two Russian analysts connected to a dossier written about Trump, let’s just hope that the hiding is not of a permanent nature.