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Catherine Putz

Catherine Putz

Catherine Putz is managing editor of The Diplomat.

Catherine (Katie) Putz is managing editor of The Diplomat.

She manages the monthly magazine as well as writing on Central Asia and Afghanistan. She writes on politics, security and culture in former Soviet spaces, particularly where they link to greater Asia. Katie also co-hosts The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics Podcast.

Katie is a graduate of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky, where she studied international security and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in history with a focus on U.S. diplomatic and conflict history. Previously, Katie worked in several positions at the Atlantic Council and as a communications consultant at the World Bank. She is a member of the Military Writers Guild and the National Press Club.

Get in touch with Katie on LinkedIn, or email.

Posts by Catherine Putz
May 09, 2024

Kyrgyz President Raises Labor Mobility Issues in Moscow

By Catherine Putz
At a Eurasian Economic Union meeting, sandwiched between Putin’s fifth inauguration and the nationalistic May 9 display, the Kyrgyz president raised concerns about labor mobility in the EAEU.

May 09, 2024

Opportunities Grow in South Korea for Uzbek Workers

By Catherine Putz
As South Korea increasingly looks to migrant labor to address shortages in major industries, Uzbekistan is keen on providing workers.
May 08, 2024

Taliban Push Back Against Pakistani Accusations of Involvement in Recent Attacks

By Catherine Putz
A spokesperson for Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense said, “Blaming Afghanistan for such incidents is a failed attempt to divert attention from the truth of the matter and we strongly reject it.”

May 08, 2024

China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Construction to Begin in October, Kyrgyz President Says

By Catherine Putz
Sadyr Japarov reportedly said the railway will make Kyrgyzstan “a transit country for the world.” But the project is an enormous undertaking with unclear financing. 

May 07, 2024

What Is the State of US Assistance to Afghanistan and Afghans?

By Catherine Putz
The U.S. remains the largest donor to the Afghan people, though funding has certainly dwindled since 2021.

May 07, 2024

Central Asian Presidents to be ‘Guests of Honor’ for Russian Victory Day Parade

By Catherine Putz
For the second year in a row, Central Asia’s leaders are making the trek to Moscow to mark a holiday of fleeting relevance in the region.
May 06, 2024

Cotton Campaign Urges Uzbekistan to Investigate Harassment of Activists

By Catherine Putz
In April, noted Uzbek human rights activist Umida Niyazova and a journalist were harassed by two men as they planned to tour Fergana and speak to farmers.

May 03, 2024

US Religious Freedom Watchdog Recommends Kyrgyzstan for Special Watch List

By Catherine Putz
For the first time, all five Central Asian states are named in some fashion in the annual USCIRF report for violating religious freedoms.

May 02, 2024

Tajikistan Advises Citizens Against Travel to Russia

By Catherine Putz
More than a month after xenophobic abuse directed toward Tajiks spiked in the wake of the Crocus City Hall attack, Dushanbe issued a “temporary” recommendation against travel to Russia.

April 25, 2024

India’s 2024 General Elections and Geopolitics

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz
What will India's 2024 vote mean for Asia and the world?

May 01, 2024

Fines for Critics in the Aftermath of Kazakhstan’s Terrible Spring Floods

By Catherine Putz
A Kazakh journalist was charged with "petty hooliganism” for using profanity in his complaint about media being barred from accessing flood zones.
April 29, 2024

Solomon Islands and the China Switch: Big Politics in Small Places

By Catherine Putz
An interview with journalist Edward Acton Cavanough on the domestic dynamics driving Solomon Islands to geopolitical prominence.

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