DAVOS, Switzerland  The president of the European Central Bank gave a full-throated defense Wednesday of the bank’s determination to fight inflation, quashing hopes  at least for now  that it might follow the United States Federal Reserve in cutting interest rates to contain an economic slowdown.

Jean-Claude Trichet, the central bank president, said the bank, which hinted this month that it might raise interest rates, needed to focus on keeping inflation low, an approach that he argued would help calm increasingly chaotic financial markets.

The stance offered a sharp contrast to the Fed, which has shifted its focus over the last six months from fighting inflation to kick-starting the American economy. The Fed aggressively eased interest rates further in an emergency move Tuesday.

Unlike the Fed, which is required by law to promote employment while keeping prices stable, the European Central Bank’s sole role is that of a sentinel against inflation.