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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
February 12, 2025

Turkmenistan Settles Gas Swap Deal With Turkiye, Iran

By Catherine Putz
According to Turkish officials, the gas flow is planned to start on March 1, with Turkmen gas reaching Turkiye via a swap deal involving Iran. 

February 11, 2025

Musk Takes Aim at RFE/RL, to Japarov’s Delight

By Catherine Putz
The powers-that-be in Washington, elected and unelected alike, are parroting the same language used by Central Asian and Russian autocrats about RFE/RL.
February 08, 2025

Trump 2.0 in America: Geopolitical Ripples Across Asia and the World

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz
The second Trump term is nothing like the first. The implications for Asia are massive.

February 07, 2025

Former Kyrgyz Natural Resources Minister Sentenced to 8 Years

By Catherine Putz
Dinara Kutmanova and her son, once at the forefront of the Kumtor nationalization movement, were charged with abuse of office and fraud. They'd been arrested back in 2023.

February 06, 2025

OSCE Cancels Tajikistan Parliamentary Election Observation Mission

By Catherine Putz
Without guarantees that observers would be accredited, and an apparent lack of engagement by Dushanbe, the OSCE has chosen to cancel its monitoring mission.

February 06, 2025

After a Secret Trial, Lengthy Sentences for Former Tajik Officials and Politicians

By Catherine Putz
Given the classified nature of the trial, the details of the alleged plot are unknown.
February 05, 2025

EU-Central Asia Leaders’ Summit Back on the Agenda

By Catherine Putz
Planned originally for 2024, the summit is now scheduled for April 2025 in Samarkand – setting it apart from earlier China- and U.S.-Central Asia leaders summits, which occurred outside the region.

February 04, 2025

Just a Little Tax Spat? Russia Asks Kyrgyzstan to Stop Pressure on Companies

By Catherine Putz
The Russian prime minister recently complained about "unfounded claims and illegal statements by high-level representatives of Kyrgyz government bodies against honest, bona fide Russian companies..."

January 31, 2025

Torture Trial in Kazakhstan Ends in Prison Sentences, But Dissatisfaction Lingers

By Catherine Putz
Six police officers were sentenced to three years in prison in relation to the torture of 44 foreign nationals in the dark days of Qandy Qantar 2022.

January 29, 2025

With Foreign Aid Freeze and Immigration Restrictions, US Leaves Afghan Allies in the Cold

By Catherine Putz
Trump's executive orders on aid and immigration have effectively frozen the Afghan SIV program, stranding thousands of Afghans in the process of coming to the United States.

January 29, 2025

Kambarata-1 Brings Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Uzbek Energy Officials Together in Tashkent

By Catherine Putz
The hydropower project in Kyrgyzstan has tapped into the region’s thirst for cooperation.
January 24, 2025

Trump’s Russia Gambit Puts Central Asia on Notice

By Catherine Putz
Given Trump’s past approaches, it’s entirely possible that the new U.S. president will demand that Central Asia’s governments “do more” with respect to Russia.

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