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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
March 28, 2025

USAGM Reverses Course on RFE/RL and OTF Grant Terminations

By Catherine Putz
A day after RFE/RL won a temporary restraining order against USAGM’s freezing of its funding, the agency has backed off. But it may be, at best, a temporary reprieve. 

March 28, 2025

USAID Cuts Devastating to Central Asia Programs

By Catherine Putz
If leaked documents listing active and terminated projects are accurate, almost all USAID programs in Central Asia have been cut. 
March 27, 2025

4th Drone Fragment Found in West Kazakhstan on Russian Border

By Catherine Putz
Since February, there have been four separate reports of UAV fragments landing in a Kazakh region that borders Russia. 

March 26, 2025

International Religious Freedom in the Spotlight Amid US Political Recalibration

By Catherine Putz
A discussion on religious freedom abroad invariably circled back to the present political turmoil in the United States under the second Trump administration.

March 18, 2025

Trump, Tariffs, and America’s Global Messaging

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz
The Asia Geopolitics podcast discusses the latest developments in Washington and their implications for Asia policy.

March 17, 2025

Cancellation of RFE/RL’s Grant Called ‘Illegal’ and a ‘Gift’ to US Adversaries

By Catherine Putz
RFE/RL leadership has pushed back on the decision by its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, to cancel its grants, calling the move outright "illegal."
March 15, 2025

Duterte in The Hague: The Philippines and the Geopolitics of International Law

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz
What does Rodrigo Duterte's arrest mean for the Philippines and international law?

March 13, 2025

Pickers and Clusters: A Complex Array of Issues Confronts Uzbekistan’s Evolving Cotton Industry

By Catherine Putz
The 2024 harvest saw a shortage of pickers, government backtracking on positive legislation, and issues stemming from the cotton cluster system; problems rooted in continued state efforts to micromanage the industry.

March 12, 2025

Lawyer Extradited From Kyrgyzstan to California to Face Visa Fraud Charges

By Catherine Putz
On the run since 2018, former immigration lawyer Danhong “Jean” Chen was recently detained in Kyrgyzstan and extradited to the United States.

March 12, 2025

Kazakhstan Aims to Increase Oil Exports via BTC Pipeline

By Catherine Putz
But a proposed increase from 1.4 million tons to 2.2 million tons is just a drop in the bucket compared to the volumes Kazakhstan exports via Russia-based pipelines. 

March 11, 2025

Tajik President to Visit Kyrgyzstan, Sign Border Deal, Ahead of Momentous Trilateral Summit

By Catherine Putz
The presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are expected to meet for their first-ever trilateral summit on March 31.
March 06, 2025

Kazakhstan’s Plans for a Regional Sustainable Development Goals Center Backed at UN

By Catherine Putz
The effort, however, comes at a time when major global powers – namely the U.S. – are pivoting away from the kind of U.N.-centered cooperative framework envisioned by Astana.

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