This thesis contends that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine served as a turning point, signifying a critical juncture in geopolitical dynamics, heightening the pressure on the Central Asian states Kazakhstan's and Kyrgyzstan's relationship with Russia. It investigates how the dynamics in the relationship since this critical juncture have evolved. As such, this thesis is an illustrative case of Russia's relationship and claims on former Soviet republics. This thesis builds on the discourse of the interplay between structure and agency in foreign policy analysis. However, this thesis moves beyond conventional static theories on states' foreign policy by employing role theory as a conduit between agency and structure. By incorporating Opperman's (2024) understanding of altercasting mechanisms combined with theories on the behaviour of small states, this thesis presents a contextualised perspective on different patterns in the role-play between different types of states following a critical juncture. The findings reveal an intensified Russian determination to maintain its leadership position vis-à-vis Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, the results support Guimarães and Maitino's (2019) proposition that secondary states primarily engage in re-altercasting using cues related to their status. However, the divergent outcomes in Kazakhstan's and Kyrgyzstan's role-play with Russia suggest that agency efforts are contingent on the actors' perceived position in the regional structure and the strength of their status position's interconnection with the regional leaders. This underscores the need for further research to understand and identify the critical points at which post-Soviet states can enact agency to change Russian-imposed role expectations.