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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

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.

January 17, 2025

Tiny Steps for TAPI in the Taliban’s Afghanistan

By Catherine Putz

The Taliban authorities say that around 3 kilometers of the pipeline has been completed, out of more than 770 km needed to bring Turkmen gas to the Pakistani border.

January 15, 2025

Eva Dou on the Secretive ‘House of Huawei’

By Catherine Putz

"Many people know of Huawei either as a smartphone brand, or a foreign firm with a history of intellectual property theft problems, but Huawei is more than either of those things."

January 11, 2025

The Biden Administration’s Asia Legacy

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz

How will the Biden administration's approach to Asia be remembered?

January 14, 2025

Kyrgyzstan’s Social Democrats Under Pressure

By Catherine Putz

Ten years ago, the country's Social Democrats were riding high.

January 11, 2025

Alleged Coup Trial in Tajikistan: Prosecutors Seek Lengthy Sentences

By Catherine Putz

Prosecutors are asking for 20-30 year sentences for eight defendants presumably accused of a coup plot about which there are very few details available.

January 10, 2025

The Failed Plot to ‘Destroy’ Uzbek Officials Using US Sanctions

By Catherine Putz

Letters obtained by The Diplomat suggest a failed effort to manipulate the U.S. sanctions system on the part of a well-connected Uzbek businessman.

January 09, 2025

Tajikistan and the Russian Scheme to Pay Taliban to Target Americans in Afghanistan

By Catherine Putz

The GRU spent tens of millions of dollars funding terrorist groups in Afghanistan to target U.S. and NATO forces, and routed funds and weapons through Tajikistan to accomplish its aims.

January 09, 2025

Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek Prime Ministers Meet at Trilateral Junction

By Catherine Putz

The meeting heralded the significant progress made in the last year on the three countries’ once-tense borders.

January 07, 2025

More than 750 Central Asians Were Deported from the US in FY2024

By Catherine Putz

Although Central Asians represent a tiny fraction of those removed from the U.S., the numbers have exploded over the last year.

January 07, 2025

Leftover Shell Explodes in Kyrgyz Village

By Catherine Putz

Unexploded ordnance left over from the 2022 conflict pose risks to populations in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, even as the two governments finalize a border deal.

January 03, 2025

Uzbek Driver Punished for ‘Petty Hooliganism’ Following Gas Station Outburst

By Catherine Putz

After waiting six hours, Gayrat Dustov couldn’t fill his tank. His anger landed him in jail for 15 days but engendered sympathy among the public.