Read The Diplomat, Know The Asia-Pacific

The Diplomat | Author

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 07, 2023

Kyrgyzstan’s Media Under Pressure

By Catherine Putz

From well-known independent outlets to bloggers, the country's vibrant media are under increasing threat.

February 02, 2023

Cold Snap and Electricity Shortages Slam Central Asia, Afghanistan

By Catherine Putz

The repercussions of the apparent vulnerabilities in Uzbekistan’s energy system have wide implications, none more serious than for Afghanistan.

February 01, 2023

Is Drug Regulation in India a Myth?

By Catherine Putz

An interview with Dinesh Thakur and Prashant Reddy about India's drug manufacturing industry and recent cases of India-made drugs leading to the deaths of children in Uzbekistan and Gambia.

February 01, 2023

Karakalpakstan Trial Ends With 16-Year Sentence for Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov

By Catherine Putz

Amid the crackdown on protests last summer in Nukus, 21 people were killed -- most of them civilians.

January 31, 2023

Perception of Corruption Stagnates Across Asia

By Catherine Putz

Governments in Asia are perceived to be as corrupt as ever.

January 27, 2023

The Drivers and Consequences of Vietnam’s January 2023 Political Shake-Up

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz

Will Vietnam's political tumult have any geopolitical ramifications?

January 28, 2023

What’s Behind Kyrgyzstan’s War on Radio Azattyk?

By Catherine Putz

A demand from the Kyrgyz government for RFE/RL's Kyrgyz language service to remove a video has escalated into a legal battle that could end Azattyk's operations in the country altogether.

January 27, 2023

Mirziyoyev Lands in Kyrgyzstan for Long Delayed State Visit

By Catherine Putz

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov met Mirziyoyev at the airport, welcoming him for a much anticipated state visit.

January 26, 2023

It’s Time to Incorporate Consent Into Central Asia’s Sexual Violence Laws

By Catherine Putz

The criminal codes of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan focus on violence in defining rape, rather than the lack of consent.

January 25, 2023

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Returns to the Pinnacle of Power in Turkmenistan

By Catherine Putz

Who cares about a president when you have a new “national leader”?

January 11, 2023

Kazakhstan Annuls Law ‘On the First President’

By Catherine Putz

As expected, following last summer’s constitutional referendum dropping references to “elbasy,” many of the First President’s other special privileges are ending.

January 11, 2023

What’s Next for the Kempir-Abad Dissenters?

By Catherine Putz

It seems the Kyrgyz authorities are set on prosecuting the politicians and activists who stridently opposed the border deal with Uzbekistan, accusing them of coup-plotting.