 While Kantemir himself officially sided with the pro-Ottomans, he nonetheless informally cooperated to some extent with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.Sensing weakness, Polish King Jan III Sobieski had Polish troops enter Moldavia twice in 1686 and 1691 to try to put his son James on the Moldavian throne, utilizing the Armenian monastery of Suceava as a base of operations.These efforts were unsuccessful, and Kantemir ordered the execution of the leader of the pro-Polish party.