The cyclocondensation of methyl 7,7,7-trifluoro-4-methoxy-6-oxo-4-heptenoate and methyl 7,7,7-trichloro-4-methoxy-6-oxo-4-heptenoate, derived from levulinic acid with amidines [NH2CONH2, NH2CR(NH) (R = H, Me, Ph, NH2, SMe and 1H-pyrazol-1-yl), 5-amino-3-methyl1H-pyrazol and 2-aminothiazole] into pyrimidine and pyrimidine-like derivatives as a new type of glutamate-like 3-(trihalomethylatedpyrimidinyl)propanoate is reported. Preparation of 3-(trihalomethylatedpyrimidinyl) propanohydrazides is also described. The synthetic potential of this straightforward protocol was established by the synthesis of fourteen new 3-(pyrimidinyl) propanoates in regular to good yields (38-92%). The structural assignments were based on the analysis of their ¹H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) data.