A US Congressman on a fact finding tour of Pakistan meets representatives of the Afghani refugee community, no harm in that.When the U.S. Senator and his "friends" are meeting with Mujahadeen, pictures are taken of the event.
The major problem the Soviets faced in that war was that their initial atrocities cost them and anyone willing to work with them any meaningful basis for popular support, and this in the long term meant they could win battles but not the war. ...
What would need to change for Soviet Union to win in Afghanistan?
They were doing pretty well until effective counters to the Soviet helicopters were available.
When the U.S. Senator and his "friends" are meeting with Mujahadeen, pictures are taken of the event. On the threat of being replaced by a hardliner, Gorby demands that aid to the Afghanis be cut off on pain of the Cold War going hot.
The flip side to this is that in the Second Sino-Japanese War Japan won literally almost all the battles but in no ATL with its policies as per OTL will ever win that war. The Soviets can win battles, yes, but they can't win the war if their political power is dependent on brute, crude force alone.
Worked for them internally. And in the East Block.
What would need to change for Soviet Union to win in Afghanistan?
And by win I mean an outcome where Kabul is led by a pro-Moscow regime that controls the country against internal opposition and allows Soviet troops to be based on Afghan soil.