Sandu also begins her term amid an energy crisis sparked by years of dependency on Russian gas.Meanwhile, the U.S. support for Ukraine is not a certainty under the new administration, leaving neighboring Moldova in a precarious position.Sandu's second term in office will be riddled with diplomatic challenges and little room for error.Moldova prepares for harsh winter, as Russian-occupied part of country runs out of gasMoldova enacted a state of emergency, as the country gears up for an energy crisis at the start of 2025 following the end of Ukraine’s obligations to transport Russian gas through its territory. Moldova, and especially the country’s breakaway region of Transnistria, will be hit the hardest followin…The Kyiv IndependentPaula ErizanuRussian push to steal electionsLeading a parliamentary republic where around 360,000 of its nearly 3 million population lives in a Russian-controlled breakaway region of Transnistria and another 130,000 in the Russian-friendly autonomous region of Gagauzia, Sandu's presidency was never an easy task.Taking office during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Sandu led the country during the start of Russia's all-out war against neighboring Ukraine, which saw the relations between Moscow and Chisinau further deteriorate.Sandu was able to steer Moldova toward the EU and open accession talks with the union, together with Ukraine.