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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
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June 25, 2024

Prosecutor in Kyrgyzstan Seeks 8 Year Sentence for Akyn Askat Zhetigen

By Catherine Putz
In the grand tradition of Kyrgyz akyns going back centuries, Zhetigen’s crime appears to be sharing his opinions with sharp words.
June 15, 2024

In Kyrgyzstan, Kempir-Abad Case Ends in Acquittal

By Catherine Putz
The court acquitted most of the defendants in a case that began with the mass arrest of more than 20 politicians and activists opposed to a border deal with Uzbekistan in October 2022.

June 11, 2024

South Korean President Yoon Sweeping Through Central Asia

By Catherine Putz
Yoon follows in the footsteps of his two predecessors in traveling to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week. 

June 11, 2024

Zahra Joya on the Resilience of Afghanistan’s Women in the Face of Patriarchy and Pressure

By Catherine Putz
Even before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan's media landscape was largely male-dominated; women's stories were either underreported or misrepresented. So Joya founded Rukhshana Media.

June 05, 2024

Does the Sanctioned Daughter of the Kremlin’s Press Chief Have a Kazakh Bank Account?

By Catherine Putz
A recent report suggests that Elizaveta Peskova may have registered for an individual identification number in Kazakhstan -- that in turn may have enabled her to access the Kazakh banking system.
June 03, 2024

Kazakh President Explains Decision to Take Taliban off Terrorist List

By Catherine Putz
The decision was announced back in December, but recently Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev remarked that it was made with “the understanding that this regime is a long-term factor.”

June 01, 2024

The New Reality of Energy Geopolitics in Eurasia

By Catherine Putz
With the so-called gas union, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are engaging in opportunistic cooperation and flirting with dangerous new dependencies.
May 31, 2024

Former Almaty Police Deputy Head Detained in January 2022 Torture Case

By Catherine Putz
Kyrgyz jazz musician Vikram Ruzakhunov was detained, tortured, and forced to make a false confession amid the chaos of the January 2022 events. It’s yet to be seen if justice will be ultimately served.

May 29, 2024

Uzbekistan, Russia to Start Construction of Small Nuclear Power Plants

By Catherine Putz
Nuclear power cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia appears to be back on track, albeit at a more limited scale than previously anticipated.

May 29, 2024

State Projects and Proxies: All the President’s Men in Kyrgyzstan

By Catherine Putz
A new OCCRP, Temirov Live, Kloop investigation finishes “the work of those who can longer do journalism in Kyrgyzstan” by uncovering a murky network of connections profiting from state projects.

May 21, 2024

Putin Goes to Beijing: Where the Russia-China Relationship Stands in 2024

By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz
Are Beijing and Moscow moving beyond their "no limits" partnership?
May 20, 2024

South Asian Students Targeted by Angry Mob in Kyrgyz Capital

By Catherine Putz
The mob, apparently triggered by a video of a fight between foreigners and locals earlier in May, “went on a rampage” targeting mostly South Asian students while raging against illegal immigration.

Page 6 of 162